The Original Friend
by ariella411
Summary: The Mikaelson Siblings Doubted That They Would Ever See Emerson MacIntyre Again . When She Shows Up In Mystic Falls, Emmy's Troubling Past Will Be Revealed Along With Some Juicy Secrets. Will Emerson Still Fancy Elijah? Will Niklaus Be Able To Win Over His First Love? Who Else Might Fall For Emmy? Will She Switch Alliances? Niklaus/OC/Elijah.
1. Emerson MacIntyre

**Emerson MacIntyre**

_**~1020~**_

My mother pushes me up the tree hurriedly. When I get up a few feet I reach down to help her. She pushes my hand away gesturing for me to keep climbing. I do what I'm told and reach for her again. She shakes her head without making a sound. She mouths that she loves me and runs. I'm about to scream after her when I hear the howls. They're close enough to hear me. That's when I understand that she's luring them away from me. I clasp my hand over my mouth to assure that no noise will escape accidentally. I watch as the large wolves race past the tree I'm hidden in. I wipe an emerging tear from my eye. The sight of my brothers and father getting ripped apart by the wolves is still fresh in my head. And I know that my mother is now fated to the same death. A scream pierces my ears confirming my fear. I cover my ears and pull my knees to my chest. I lean against the trunk of the tree and try to ignore the next few screams. The screams stop after a couple minutes but I continue to cry as silently as I can. I hold my breath as the wolf's circle back. I can make out the red on their coats. I muffle my reaction. I make myself as tiny as possible as they stop at the base of my tree. They sniff around for a bit before moving on. I lean my head back against the tree and close my eyes. I quickly open them when the image of my family appears in my head.

The fear of the wolves keeps me quiet and still. The fear of reliving my family's death keeps me from sleeping. I stay in the same position until the next morning. I stagger down a few branches before loosing my footing and falling the rest of the way. I land on the hard floor with a thud. My back aches as I stand up. I start walking avoiding the way my mother ran and the place we ran from. I don't know if I'm walking towards the village but I know I need to keep going. I walk and walk until my dress gets caught on a tree stump causing me to fall. My knee and hand land straight on a rock. I feel them bust open. The blood is visible through my dress within seconds and my hand starts to sting. I take a sharp rock and tear the dress so I can walk properly through the forest. I take the extra fabric and tie it around my knee and hand to help halt the bleeding. The blood runs down my leg and fingers. I stop a few times to wipe it off but continue to stumble through the forest until I feel too tired to keep going. I don't bother climbing up a tree since the full moon has passed. A random tree makes a good backboard. I fall asleep easily, ignoring the pain.

"Emerson!" The yell comes through the forest.

"Emerson!" I hear another yell.

"Emmy!" I push myself up and take a deep breath.

"Over here!" I scream as loud as I can.

"Emerson?" The person pauses. "Where are you?"

"Here!"

"I hear her. We're getting close." The people talk amongst themselves. They're close enough for me to hear them. I recognize the voice.

"Niklaus?" I take a breath. "Niklaus, I'm over here!"

"Emerson!" Klaus emerges through the trees followed by his brothers. "Thank god we found you. We thought the wolves might have gotten you too."

"How did you know about the wolves?" I ask as the brother's circle around me. Finn kneels near me and inspects my knee and hand.

"The chief told us that they killed five people last night during the full moon and that we should take attendance of everybody." Kol explains.

"When we found out that your family had still not returned, we knew that we had to go looking for the one that survived." Niklaus takes my hand.

"How did you survive?" Elijah asks me. I purse my lips.

"After my brothers and father were killed, my mother and I got away. She made me hide in a tree and she led them away." I mumble.

"You've lost a lot of blood. We need to get you back to my mother, Emerson." Elijah tells me.

"Niklaus and Kol take the lead. Elijah, you cover the back. I'll carry her." Finn picks me off the floor easily and cradles me in his arms.

I lean my head against his chest. Finn has always been like another brother to me. I know that I've lost a lot of blood from the gashes on my knee and hand. Esther will be able to patch them up easily though. She is a witch after all. I keep my eyes open as we walk, hoping not to see my brothers or father again. We get back to the village in due time. Finn carries me into his mother's healing cabin. She makes room on a table for me and Finn lies me down. With a brotherly kiss on the cheek, he leaves the cabin. Esther doesn't ask any questions just gets to work. I feel her herbs working on my wounds. I purse my lips whenever it hurts but keep my mouth closed. She puts a wet cloth on my forehead when she finishes and tells me to rest. The pain fades as time passes. I fall asleep unwillingly. Nightmares claim my dreams while I sleep. Rebekah wakes me a while later to give me water and some bread. She doesn't talk as I eat and when I'm done she leaves without a word. They're probably realizing now that I'm technically an orphan. The only family I have left is still in Europe. My mother's sisters and brother never thought coming to the new world as an option. I doubt they'll pack up their lives for a niece they've only seen a few times. They're not that family oriented.

"How are you doing?" Niklaus asks as he comes into the cabin.

"Better." I push myself up onto my elbows. "Just… tired."

"Mikael wanted me to tell you that the werewolves told us where they left your family. They're bringing back the remains now. You probably should stay inside." Niklaus tells me.

"Niklaus, I need to see them." I gulp.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Good thing it wasn't yours." I hop off the table and walk out of the cabin, avoiding Niklaus.

As I step out of the cabin, I see Finn and Elijah walking towards me. They're holding either side of a long wooden board. A cloth covers the body on the board but I can tell it's my father. His long legs are hanging over the edge of the wood. I watch as three more boards are carried past me. I make out the silhouette of my brothers. Niklaus emerges from the cabin and wraps an arm around my shoulder pulling me closer to him. I appreciate my best friend's attempt to comfort me but when I see Elijah and Kol come out from the house they store the meat in, I shrug off Niklaus' hand. I walk up to them.

"Where is my mothers body?" I meet both of their eyes.

"Emmy…" Kol rubs the back of his neck. He avoids my gaze.

"Tell me."

"Her body was too mangled to bring back." Elijah stutters. I purse my lips and hold back the tears.

"When are you going to bury them?"

"Tonight. My mother wanted to clean the bodies." Kol puts his hands into his pockets.

"Bury them together please." I request.

"Aren't you going to be there?" Elijah questions.

"No. I've already accepted the fact that they're gone. I don't need to see their mangled bodies be put into the ground to reassure me." I thank them both for bringing the bodies back. I walk past Niklaus and back into the cabin. I pull myself up onto the table and lie down.

Each of the human families in this small village is in charge of one thing. The Mikaelson family makes weapons. My family, the MacIntyre's, hunted animals and gathered food in the forest. The Akins family cooks. The Derringer girls along with Esther and Rebekah are the nurses. The other families have other jobs. We were running out of food so in turn we were told to go and hunt. We knew it was a new moon so we had to be quick. We went off the trail to go after a deer when we got lost. We were making our way back when the wolves trapped us. They went after my father and brothers first. My mother and I slipped away as my siblings and dad were being killed. I had never seen a wolf in person and I never want to again. The days after the deaths go by quickly. They bury the bodies while I stayed with Rebekah. Nobody really knew what to do with me at first. The Mikaelson's quickly stepped up and took me in.

Our families have been close since mine first moved here. Our parents got along well and I quickly became good friends with Niklaus and Kol. Rebekah was like the sister I never had even before I started living with them. We always teased each other about whom we liked. Rebekah fancied my brother Thomas and I admitted to fancying Elijah. We promised never to tell anyone. Finn was always protective of Rebekah and I. Living with them is definitely a change and it was better than being sent back to England.

Another loss shook the village again just a couple of days after my siblings and parents died. Niklaus and Henrik had snuck off in the night to watch the werewolves transform. They had invited me but I declined, knowing that Mikael and Esther would not approve. When Niklaus returned carrying Henrik's body I knew what had happened. As most of the Mikaelson's mourned I noticed that Mikael seemed mostly angry. I was just hoping he didn't try to get his revenge on the werewolves. I knew he was up to something the days after Henrik's death. The answer came one night.

Mikael gathered us for a family dinner. I was happy I was being accepted into their family so easily. After we ate Mikael and Esther brought out what they called a special wine that they had been saving. I drank it happily having never have tasted wine. I ignored the weird taste since I wasn't sure what wine was supposed to taste like in the first place. I remember begging Mikael not to kill me after watching him stab each of his own children. He told me everything would be fine and ran the sword through my heart. I was surprised to wake the next morning. I listen as Mikael describes what he did to us, what he turned us into. At first I didn't know whether to be mad that I was destined to live forever or happy that I would be with my new family forever. Rebekah showed that she was confused at first so I copied her emotions. I could tell that Elijah and the others were angered but were hiding it as best they could. I think I was truly confused at the time but I would never admit it to someone. All I knew was that nothing was ever going to be the same.

**~1114~**

I take the piece of bread off the plate that has just been set down on the wooden table and nod my head at the server. His eyes dart to the floor as he hurries away. I muffle a laugh. All the help seem to be frightened of me. They're right to do so. I do not hide what I am in my house. I have compelled each of the workers to not say a word of my true species. The world has not yet been educated that vampires exist. And in my opinion, its for the best. Niklaus says that he wants people to fear us, be obedient. Elijah just wants to live in peace and has kept his younger brother at bay thankfully. Rebekah stays with me at my house while the other Mikaelson brothers share a house a few doors down. I try to keep to myself since the neighbors can get quiet nosy. The less they know, the better.

We've only been living here, in Italy, for a couple of decades. None of the neighbors that was here when we first move in still live here. There was one woman that was intent on not leaving. But she was of old age so when her unmoving body was found one morning, no one thought anything of it. I didn't kill her. And I didn't bother asking Niklaus or Kol if they did. I didn't want to know the truth. Other than the elderly woman, we've had no problems keeping the fact that we do not age a secret. Niklaus is popular with the women in the area. Many have tried to tie him down to a relationship but I know that it would take someone really special to do that.

Elijah keeps to himself mostly. He doesn't busy himself with average peasant women. I definitely prefer that. Rebekah has assured me that he still has no idea of my feelings for him. He still treats me like his little sister, which can get quiet annoying but I deal with it. Finn is a teacher now. He has children come to his house once a week for lessons on history. He's good at it seeing as how he's been alive to see most of what he is teaching. He has admitted to having feelings for a woman who lives a few streets over. I've tried to get him to ask her to join him for supper. He refuses to do so. He thinks he is no good for her. I feel guilty for saying so but I do agree. If this woman decided to be with him and returned his affection, he would most likely not want to let go of her and in turn he would put her into transition. At least that is what I am afraid he'll do. I think he shares the same fear.

Mikael hasn't contacted us since we left the new world behind. After it was revealed that Niklaus was only his stepson, Mikael killed Niklaus' biological father and his family. We had to leave shortly after because this ignited a feud between the werewolves and us. Esther put a curse on Niklaus to keep his werewolf side dormant and in turn, he killed her. Niklaus tried to frame Mikael but I never believed it. I felt guilty for leaving Mikael but I knew I wanted this more. I've enjoyed traveling across Europe with the Mikaelson's. I took on their surname after a few months of traveling with them. Most people know us as siblings. I don't tell anyone otherwise. It makes me feel like I've been truly accepted into their family.

When I hear a knock I tell one of the maids to get the door. I can hear Niklaus and his brothers before they enter the dining room. I receive a light kiss on the cheek from each. They sit at the long wooden table with me. I ask the maid to get Rebekah after sensing this isn't just a random visit. Rebekah enters a few minutes later. She exchanges greetings with each of her brothers before sitting down.

"What's wrong?" I lean back in my chair.

"Rebekah's new boyfriend seems to be a possible danger to us. Did you know he's a hunter?" Niklaus directs the question at his sister.

"Yes. But does not suspect us, brother. He thinks that vampires are night dwellers, cursed by the sun and unable to contain their hunger. We have given him no reason to think we are one of them." Rebekah explains calmly.

"And you think he would tell you if he suspected us." Kol scoffs.

"Rebekah, we're just worried that you are getting to involved with this man." Elijah reaches for her hand. She pulls away quickly.

"I love him. And I'm not going to stop seeing him just because you think he's a danger to us. I'm sorry." Rebekah pushes her chair out and stands up. "He has a plan to kill vampires. He trusts me and I am sure that if you extend a friendship to him, he'll start trusting you too. Eventually we might get that secret out of him."

We did what Rebekah suggested. That Saturday, Niklaus held a small party and invited Rebekah's boyfriend Alexander. I admit that we had fun with him. In the weeks to follow we spent much time with him. I never let his charming smile blur my end goal but I could tell that Rebekah truly cared for him. I knew that in the end Niklaus would probably kill Alexander. Not even Rebekah would be able to stop her brother. I think everyone started sensing when Alexander started to trust us. When he invited us to his house, it seemed to prove it. After most of the guests had left, we were invited to stay the night in the guest rooms. Only a few acquaintances remained who also planned on staying the night. Rebekah and Alexander disappeared upstairs. I stopped Niklaus from following them. I didn't want him to kill Rebekah's boyfriend while trying to have a romantic moment.

As I slept I heard a noise outside my door. It was too dark to see who walked into the room. When I felt the dagger run through my chest, I realized it wasn't Niklaus or Elijah. I woke up when Niklaus pulled the dagger out. Niklaus was the only one alive. He explained to me how Alexander's friends were hunters. They had daggered everyone in their sleep. Since Niklaus had werewolf lineage, the white oak ash dagger did not neutralize him. I helped him retrieve the daggers from Elijah and Kol. I tried to take out the one from Finn but Niklaus stopped me. I found all the dead hunters including Alexander in his room. Rebekah was still neutralized on the bed. I pulled out the dagger and watched as she cried over Alexander's body. I wasn't sure if it was because he was dead or because he tried to kill her. I didn't ask. We left Italy a few weeks later.

**~1492~**

Running around Europe freely seems like a dream come true. It's been over three hundred years since we left Italy. Niklaus never un-daggered Finn and will not tell any of us where his body is. I tried looking but I gave up, knowing I would not find it. I feel guilty but there is nothing I can do without knowing the whereabouts of his body. Niklaus, Elijah, and Kol have taken on the title of noblemen and Rebekah and I are noblewomen. Having a title of that stature attracts a lot of attention. Especially for Niklaus, Elijah, and Kol. Niklaus has parties every Saturday and it's mostly young women who attend. I watch as several women approach him and his brothers every hour. I don't like watching Elijah with other girls but I have no claim on him so I keep my comments to myself. At the end of every night, Niklaus and Kol invite one poor victim to their room. I know that the girls that enter never leave, alive anyways. I've learned to feed and compel the men to forget. Elijah and Rebekah prefer not to kill when they feed like me. Niklaus and Kol don't care though. That's why they choose girls who don't have much family or money. It's part of our lifestyle so whenever I see a girl go into their rooms I push the feeling of guilt out of my head. There's nothing I can do.

When I meet Katerina Petrova, all I see is an average peasant girl. I even do her the favor of introducing her to Kol, Niklaus, and Elijah. I'm happy to see Kol write her off but both Niklaus and Elijah seem to show interest in her. I don't understand it. I don't see anything special in her, until Niklaus tells me that she's the doppelganger that he's been waiting for to break his curse. At this news Elijah tries to deter his brother from the girl but Niklaus is intent on killing her. I can tell Elijah cares about her by the way he doesn't leave her side whenever she attends a party of Niklaus'.

"Why the long face?" Kol sneaks up behind me.

"No long face. Just… thinking." I finish my glass of wine and place it on the fireplace behind me. I keep my eyes on Katerina and Elijah.

"Thinking about how to kill Elijah's new girlfriend? I could help you with that." Kol laughs teasing me. I shake my head.

"No need for it, Kol. Niklaus will kill her in due time." I look at him. " Thank you for the offer though."

"No problem. Its what family does." Kol winks and offers a hand. "Can I have this dance?"

"Of course" I smile and curtsey. I take his hand and let him lead me to where the other guests are dancing. He takes one of my hands and places the other hand on my waist.

"I'm surprised my brother hasn't noticed your obvious affection for him." Kol sighs.

"It's not obvious."

"Please, I think everyone can see it except for Elijah."

"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing." I place my head on Kol's shoulder.

"Both. It doesn't ruin your relationship with him but it doesn't give you a chance to further your relationship." Kol says quietly.

"Well, if things were meant to be, then they will." I purse my lips.

"I'm sure Niklaus will be fine with it not happening." Kol chuckles.

"What ever do you mean?" I lift my head from his shoulder.

"You're just like Elijah. Niklaus has fancied you since you two were humans." Kol tells me.

"No he hasn't. We're best friends, practically family." I explain.

"Whatever you say. But I've known my brother long enough to know when he likes a girl. And if you focused enough you could see it too." Kol dips me as we dance.

"I doubt that's the…" I stop when I pick up a piece of Trevor's conversation with Katerina.

"That's the what?" Kol asks me.

"Quiet" I focus on Trevor's words.

"…vampires. They're dangerous and I know they're planning something. You have to go." Trevor warns Katerina.

"What are you talking about Trevor?" Katerina sounds confused.

"We have to leave now. Take this." Trevor whispers. I don't see what he gives her, but I can tell it's not good.

"Where's Niklaus?" I ask Kol.

"Probably dancing with some girl. Why?"

"We've just been revealed to Katerina. She's leaving." I walk through the crowd of people until I find Niklaus and Elijah.

"We need to talk, now." I whisper to both of them.

"Not now, Emerson." Niklaus waves me away.

"Trust me, you're going to want to hear this." I pause. "It's about your precious doppelganger."

"What is it?" Elijah asks me.

"Can we go somewhere a little more private?" I gesture to all the people surrounding us. Niklaus leads me to his study.

"Go on." Niklaus tells me as he leans against the desk.

"Trevor just revealed us to Katerina. He warned her about you wanting to use her, kill her. He's helping her escape." I watch Niklaus' expression go from one of curiosity to that of anger.

"Are you sure about this?" He stands up from his desk.

"I'm positive." I pause. "And he gave her something. I think it was the moonstone."

"Elijah, did you tell her anything about the plan?" Niklaus turns to his brother.

"No. Of course not."

"You better find her, or you'll be dead too." Niklaus spits at Elijah.

"I'll find her, brother."

Elijah glances at me before he leaves. He probably would have preferred if I waited to tell his brother. Niklaus slumps down into his chair behind his desk. I look at Kol for some type of hint of what to do. He shrugs and leaves the room. I sigh and sit on the edge of the desk. Niklaus looks up shortly.

"Elijah better find her." Niklaus mutters.

"And if he doesn't? Will you kill him?"

"Yes. And put him with Finn." Niklaus tells me.

"You are so stuck on letting out this dormant side of you. Did you ever think that your mother cursed you to save you?" I ask him.

"My mother didn't care for me one bit. She abandoned me."

"And in turn you killed her."

"Yes. And I will kill everyone here if it means I stay in control." Niklaus sits up. I can tell his anger is rising.

"Even me?"

"Even you."

"I can't do this anymore, Niklaus. You're losing control just by letting this curse rule your life. You have killed two people you love dearly and you're willing to kill the rest so that you can be a stupid hybrid. I know it's not worth it but by the time you figure it out, it will be too late." I stand up and start towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to get away for a while, Niklaus. Be on my own for a bit." I bite my lip.

"You don't have to go. I didn't mean what I said, I could never kill you." Niklaus stands up and walks over to me.

"And why's that?"

"Because I care for you deeply."

"But you don't care for Elijah and Kol and Rebekah deeply?"

"Not as much as I care for you." Niklaus tells me truthfully.

"That's the problem. You should care for your family more than just some girl."

"You're not just some girl, Emerson. You're the girl." Niklaus takes my hand.

"I need to get out of here. And you need to focus on your family and getting your priorities straight, Niklaus." I kiss him on the cheek. "But I'll see you again… probably."

"Promise me that I'll see you again." He doesn't let go of my hand.

"I promise that you'll all see me again." I smile. "Good bye, Niklaus."

"Goodbye Emmy." He sighs.

I walk out of the study. I duck through the crowd hoping not to be seen by Kol or Rebekah. I get to my house quickly and pack all my belongings. I know that Rebekah will be surprised to see that I've left in such a hurry but her brother will hopefully explain that it has nothing to do with her. I change into trousers and go out to the stables. I go to my horse, Altair, and tie the bags onto his back. I saddle up and ride out onto the dirt street. I keep riding until I get out of town. Even then I keep riding. I need to get as far from my old life as possible. I need a fresh start in a new place. Altair starts getting tired as we come across a little group of houses. I stop in front of a random house and knock on the door. A middle-aged woman answers the door and wipes her hands on her apron.

"Hello. My name is Sara. I was just passing through town and my horse is exhausted. I was wondering if you had an extra room I could stay the night in. I could pay you and it would just be until morning so my horse can rest." I fake an Irish accent.

"We have a barn out back if you're okay with staying there. It's rather small but we have a cot and extra blankets." The lady smiles.

"Thank you so much." I return the smile. The lady leads me through the house and out the back. The barn is quite tiny but it will do for the night. She grabs a cot and sets it up. I put Altair in one of the stables and feed him.

"Your horses are beautiful." I compliment while looking at the three other horses in the barn. Their clean coats suggest they are well cared for.

"Thank you. They're my daughters, Karyn and Elissa. They take good care of them." The lady pauses. "I'm Marissa Harding."

"Sara Wendy." I say a random name.

"Well, here you go." Marissa backs away from the made up cot. "And don't worry about money."

"Are you sure?" I ask her.

"Yes. You seem like a nice girl. And hopefully you'll make your way back home." Marissa smiles. She reminds me of my mother.

"Thank you." I sit on the cot and Marissa leaves.

I know I have to feed soon but I don't want to feed on this family. I walk out of the barn and listen. I hear movement in the wood and run after it. The deer doesn't hear me coming and it's an easy kill. I prefer human blood but this will have to do for now. It will feed my hunger until I get out of town and away from Marissa and her family. When I get back to the barn I sleep easily. The next morning I sneak into the house and get out a piece of parchment and a quill. I write a thank you letter and assure them that I'll be fine. Despite Marissa's assurance, I leave a small amount of money. I mount Altair and ride away from the house. I felt bad for using a fake identity but if Niklaus or his siblings come looking for me, they'll have no idea where to go from there. I ride until I get to the coast. I get on a ship with Altair across the channel and head towards Paris. It's a largely populated area. It would be hard to find a single person in a town like that. But hopefully no one will come looking for me because I do not want to be found. In due time I know I'll find my way back to my second family. I'm just not ready to do that yet.

**-This was the first background chapter. There will be one or two more like this and then I jump to the present. PLEASE review. I don't even know if I should continue with this story at all so I need honest reviews. Also if you have better name suggestions, I'm open to hearing them but they should have nickname that her friends can call her. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and don't forget to review, review, and review please.**


	2. Disappear

**Disappear**

**~1759~**

Being on my own for so long has been harder than I thought. Not difficult in sense of providing for myself, but more because I was lonely almost all the time. I would make friends every once and a while but they never stuck around for too long. My human friends would try to leave once I told them I was a vampire so I compelled them to forget that we ever met. My vampire friends stuck around long enough for me to explain how I'm an original. They tried to break all ties with me, not wanting to get involved with any of the Mikaelson's even though I told them I have not been in contact with them for almost three hundred years. I compelled them to forget me as well. It wasn't up until I met Mishelle and Marcus Japlin. The twins were already turned when I met them. Mishelle explained how Finn had turned her before he was neutralized. She turned her brother shortly after. With no family remaining they wanted to stay together forever. I became immediate friends with the sibling duo. Mishelle was a wild child while Marcus was quiet and insecure. Mishelle told me about how she had traveled to every continent at least twice along with her brother. The only continent I hadn't been to was Africa. We left immediately.

I waited until we got back to tell her the truth about how I got turned. She was quiet at first but then she started laughing. She told me that she didn't care where I came from only that I was here now and having fun. Marcus followed his sister's lead. We were like a real family after that. They played my older siblings whenever we would stay in one place for a while. Our matching green eyes and despite the fact that they had blonde hair while I had orange, people believed us. We bounced around Europe for a while before heading over to North America. We settled in several states. California was our longest stop in the 1800's. Marcus found a handful of gold during the gold rush and we made a great living off of that.

We were in Florida when I met Nicholas. Unlike the other human's I had tried to befriend, he accepted me. We quickly fell in love. After I told him what I was, he told me that he's never loved someone as much as me. He said that me being a vampire didn't change his feelings. After a couple of years together I suggested that I put him into transition. I left the final decision up to him. He decided he wanted to be with me for as long as he can. That night I fed him my blood and killed him. His transition into the vampire lifestyle was easy. Mishelle didn't approve that I changed him. She never really liked Nicholas. She thought he was holding me back. Their relationship didn't improve once he was a vampire. It got worse actually. Finally the day came where I was forced to choose between the man I loved and my best friends. I hesitated which caused Mishelle to take Marcus and leave. Nicholas helped me look for them but it was as if they vanished. I gave up hoping I'd see them again someday.

**~1860~**

Nicholas and I settled in New York for over fifty years. I knew Mishelle loved New York. I wasn't only there for her though. New York was a great place for a vampire to live. It was easy to feed on a human without anyone noticing. Nicholas had a problem with loosing control at times. I had to stay by his side all the time. I feared he would lose control and do something he truly regretted. Even though I had never done it, I know that vampires can turn off their emotions. I did not want him even thinking about doing that. Luckily I was there to stop him whenever he started losing control. We packed up in the early 1900's and moved south. I let Nicholas choose where to relocate this time. He chose Arkansas.

**~1903~**

I enjoyed living in a slow moving place for once. I had to turn to feeding on animals for a while though. This was tough for Nicholas. He battled his hunger often but managed not to kill anyone. Our neighbors were too nice for Nicholas to even think about hurting them. Nicholas occupied his time mostly by tracking the stars. We would stay up at night just to watch the stars. I would fall asleep most nights but I would always wake up in my bed next to Nicholas. We were doing perfectly fine until a couple moved in across the street. Nicholas thought it would be a good idea to bake some sweets and introduce us. I made a batch of cookies for the strangers. Hand in hand we made our way across the street. I didn't smell him until he opened the door. I introduced ourselves using fake names, handed him the cookies, and pulled Nicholas back to the house. When we got inside I locked the doors behind us.

"What's wrong, Emmy?" Nicholas asks me.

"You didn't smell them?" I lean against the front door.

"What are you talking about?"

"They're werewolves, Nicholas. And there's a full moon tomorrow night. I'm hoping they couldn't tell that we're vampires." I talk as I listen for the any movement across the street. Nothing.

"You think that they'll kill us." Nicholas looks at me.

"Not us. You. I'm an original vampire. A werewolf bite will only deter my health for a couple of hours. If you get bitten, I would need something that only one man has." I explain.

"What?"

"Niklaus Mikaelson's blood. He is the only person who can heal a werewolf bite." I walk into the kitchen and poor myself a glass of water.

"Niklaus Mikaelson… isn't he…" Nicholas starts.

"Yes. And I haven't talked to him or his siblings since the fourteen hundreds." I purse my lips.

"Don't worry, Emerson. I won't get bitten." Nicholas promises me.

"I sure hope not." I walk over to him and kiss him. "I couldn't bare to loose you right now."

"No fear for I will always be here." Nicholas cups my face in his hands. I giggle at his rhyme.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Emerson MacIntyre." Nicholas kisses me. "Now how about we eat those left over cookies."

I was on high alert the day before and of the full moon. I kept the door locked at all times and managed to keep Nicholas in my sight at all times. I kept my ears open for anything I can pick up from across the street. They were either too far away or whispering. I couldn't hear anything. The day of the full moon, I stay right next to Nicholas all day. Despite the fact it's still daytime, I don't want to risk anything. That night, we eat dinner quietly by my request. That's when we hear the screaming. At first I thought it was the neighbors kids playing around. Then I heard it again and again. Nicholas was out of his chair and at the door before I could stop him. He pulls open the door but I shut it quickly.

"What the hell do you think your doing?" I lock the door.

"We have to help that person." Nicholas looks at me.

"No. I have to make sure you're safe." I move in front of the door.

"Emerson, please. That's a helpless human out there. We can stop them." Nicholas begs.

"Nicholas, I can't loose you." I bite back the tears.

"Emerson, you are a free independent woman. If I die, you need to know that you will be fine." Nicholas pauses. "But I won't die."

"How can you say that for sure?"

"I can't. You just have to trust me."

"I'll go alone. I can save them by myself." I move in front of the door. Nicholas nods and kisses me.

"Any sound of trouble and I'm coming out."

"Okay." I open the door and step outside. I close the door behind me and tell Nicholas to lock it. I don't move until I hear the metal click.

I walk down the steps slowly and listen for the screaming. When I hear it I run in the same direction. I run into the forest and stop. The next scream is way closer. When I smell the wolves I stop for a minute. I take a deep breath and keep walking. The clearing is big enough for a small house. Right in the center I see three silhouettes; two wolves and one human. As I step closer, they all look up. The human is a young girl, around sixteen or seventeen. The wolves have blood around their mouth and down their chest. The girl is barely breathing. The white wolf circles around the girl's body before pouncing. I easily throw it off of me. The gray wolf does the same but I'm caught off guard by the white wolf that attacks at the same time. I scream shortly. I regret doing so. If Nicholas heard it, he would come running. I fight off the white wolf again but the gray one is still going at it. It scratches my leg and I muffle a scream. It scratches my other leg as well. The white wolf catches me by surprise when it bites at my face. I avoid its teeth but it's nails dig into my arms. I whimper as I feel them move deep into my skin. The gray wolf is still tearing at my legs. Suddenly the white wolf gets thrown off of me. The gray one stops scratching me. I look and see Nicholas. I beg for him to go back to the house but he doesn't budge. I can feel my legs starting to heal but I still can't move. I watch as both the wolves turn their attention to Nicholas. He fights both of them off twice. Finally I get up the strength to stand up. As I wince my way to standing position, I see the gray wolf jump at Nicholas. I catch the sight of his fangs gripping Nicholas' neck. I scream and charge at the wolf. I pull him off of Nicholas and throw him against a tree. I tear through his neck with my own fangs and turn to the white wolf who is still focused on Nicholas. I kick it in the face and grab it's body. I squeeze until I hear all the ribs break one by one. When I drop it on the floor, it doesn't move.

I run to Nicholas' side. His eyes are closed as I pick him up off the floor and carry him back to the house. I lock the door behind me using one free hand. I put him on our bed. He doesn't stir at all. I take a look at the bite on his neck. It looks okay for now but I know it doesn't take long for the infection to spread. I grab a couple of changes of clothes for both of us and carry Nicholas to the car. I put him into the carriage and throw the bags into the back. I have only a few days to locate Niklaus. I need to find a witch that can help a vampire and fast.

I drive to the one place where I know witchcraft is aplenty, New Orleans. I've only heard stories of the streets that are filled with humans by day and vampires by night. Rumors of Niklaus and his siblings being there also filled my ears once or twice. It takes two nights but I finally make it. I drive through several towns before finding a true witch. I enter her store and try to look as innocent as possible. I wait until the human shoppers leave. When we're alone I approach her at the counter and place a couple hundred dollar bills on the counter. She looks from the money to me.

"And what kind of service can I provide for someone like you?" She takes the money.

"A locater spell." I whisper.

"Who are you trying to locate, darling?" She shoves the money into her pocket.

"The Mikaelson's." I wait for her to explode. I guessed it wouldn't be easy to find a witch who would willingly locate some of the most infamous vampires on earth.

"Why are you looking for them?" The witch keeps calm.

"My friend is in trouble. I know that Niklaus Mikaelson can help him." My voice wavers when I think about Nicholas.

"Come into the back, dear." She gestures me behind the counter and into the back of the store. She sits at a wooden table and places a few items onto it. I watch as she mutters unknown words. She opens her eyes a few minutes later.

"You're in luck. He's right here in New Orleans." She smiles and pulls out a map and points to a random spot. "It's called the French quarter."

"Are you sure he's there?" I look at the map.

"I'm a Wonder. We're never wrong." She marks the map with a pencil and folds it up. She hands me the map with a smile. "Good luck convincing him to help you though."

"I know he will. We're old friends." I take the map and thank her. I walk out of the store and get into the carriage. Nicholas stirs when I get in. I can see that his sweating has increased immensely. I wipe his forehead with handkerchief. When I look at the bite I can't stop from gasping. The infection is still spreading with great speed

I get the horses to move as fast as possible without hurting someone or another carriage. The French Quarter isn't too far. It takes a couple of hours for me to get into town. I pull over into a random hotel. I get a room and carry Nicholas up the stairs. I put him on the bed and leave, locking the door behind me. I decide to go on foot to look for Niklaus. I look for Niklaus in all the obvious places, the clubs. I duck into at least ten before deciding to go back and check on Nicholas. When I get into the room I can tell he's dead. I try to revive him somehow but I know it's really no use. I cry over his body for over an hour. I can feel every emotion rising up inside of me. I take his body and carry it behind the hotel and into the trees. I place his body on the ground and quickly rub two sticks together until the wood catches fire. I watch as Nicholas' body burns. I walk back to the hotel wipe the dry tears from my face. I put everything back into the carriage. I grab the reins but I don't know which way to go. I settle on looking for Niklaus.

The streets come to life as the sun goes down. It seems like more people are out at night than during the day. I keep my eyes open for Niklaus as I walk through the crowds. I enter a different gentleman clubs and sit down finally. I order a drink and take my time finishing it. That's when I hear his laugh. It's the same laugh I grew up hearing. As it fills my ears I turn around slowly on my stool. My eyes dart around the room, looking for the familiar face. When I see him, I nearly fall off my chair. I'm not ready to let him know I'm here so I quickly move up to the second level and hide in the crowd. I watch him carefully while he talks with another man. By the way they interact, I determine they're friends. Niklaus laughs and smiles as he talks. I can tell he's happy now. I smile at the thought. I look around the large room, hoping to see Elijah, Rebekah, or Kol but I do not find them. When I turn back to Niklaus, I swear his eyes meet mine. I jump back from the railing and hide take a few steps back. I bump into a pillar. I duck behind it quickly.

"Emerson?" I hear Niklaus call my name. "Emerson?"

"Who are you looking for, Klaus?" I can hear someone else ask him.

"I thought I saw a very old friend." Niklaus mutters. I hold my breath.

"Well, it looks like she's gone now." The man laughs.

"I was probably just mistaken." Niklaus sighs. "Let's get back to those drinks, Marcel."

"As you wish, Klaus." I listen as they walk down the stairs to the first level.

I run out of the building as fast as I can. I get back to the hotel and get a different room. I can't stop thinking about Niklaus as I sleep. I dream of when we were in Italy and happy. I find myself wishing we could just go back to that time of clear thinking. I miss Kol and Rebekah and Elijah, even Niklaus. I can't go back yet. I don't want to.

I decide to stay in the French Quarter for a while. I buy a couple wigs to help hide my identity. I wear a different color every night I go out. I use every accent but my natural British one. In this new strange town I don't care about killing humans, they don't matter to me. I feed when I want where I want. I see Niklaus and his siblings around town but fight down the urge to say anything. Kol introduces himself one night though. I was at one of my regular clubs when he walked up beside me.

"Hello beautiful." Kol turns on the charm. I swallow a scoff.

"Hello." I hide my British accent perfectly with a southern accent.

"And what name has the honor of belonging to such a pretty woman?"

"Bella Harper." I hold out my hand but don't look at Kol. He shakes it lightly.

"Kol Mikaelson at your service." I feel him kiss my hand.

"That name sounds familiar." I put on a face of concentration. I hear him laugh.

"Well my family is very well known to a specific group of people."

"Vampires." I look to the other end of the bar where Niklaus is talking to a woman.

"I'm speculating that you're one as well." Kol says.

"You'd be right." I pause. "It's been swell talking to royalty but I've got to get going."

"You remind me of someone I used to know."

"I get that a lot. Now if you'll excuse me, sir." I hop off my stool and walk in the opposite direction. I keep my head down as I pass by Niklaus. I walk out of the bar and cut through the alley and behind the next building. Suddenly someone grabs my arm and pushes me against the building. My head bounces off the brick wall.

"It's good to see you again, Emerson." Kol smirks. "Or do you still prefer Emmy?"

"Emmy." I answer but avoid his gaze.

"You can imagine my surprise when I realized it was you. Niklaus said he doubted we'd see you again." Kol holds me against the wall.

"I promised him that you guys would see me again." I try to move from his grasp but I find it too difficult and give up.

"So why didn't you come say hello as yourself." Kol reaches up and pulls off my blonde wig letting my red orange hair fall over my shoulders.

"I wasn't ready to be accepted back, Kol. I'm still not." I tell him the truth.

"Why not?" He looks at me questionably.

"I need… time."

"Four hundred years wasn't enough time for you, Emmy?"

"It was… I came here to get help from Niklaus. I was hoping that Nicholas would want to stay and we could become a family again." I explain.

"Who's Nicholas?"

"Was. He was my boyfriend. He passed from a werewolf bite a week ago." I purse my lips.

"And you wanted my brother to help the boy you love. Even though Niklaus himself still has feelings for you." Kol shakes his head.

"Yeah. And I feel bad. I never meant to hurt Niklaus. He was my best friend and I did love him, I just didn't know it. And when I met Nicholas, I saw so much of Niklaus in him. I fell in love with Nicholas because he was a different version of Niklaus. I couldn't bring myself to come back to you guys for I was afraid. I was afraid that I would actually fall in love with Niklaus or Elijah and abandon this guy who has been nothing but a gentleman to me. I truly loved Nicholas and that's why I can't come back yet. Niklaus reminds me too much of him and I don't want to put the burden of fixing my broken heart on you and your siblings. You guys already have so much to battle. I'm sorry." I bite back my tears.

"I wasn't lying, Emerson. It really is good to see you again." Kol releases my arms and pulls me into a bear hug.

"It's good to see you too. I really miss you guys." I hug him back.

"Why don't you join me for a drink tomorrow night? We can catch up. Just the two of us." Kol steps back.

"Just the two of us?" I clarify.

"Yes. Just two old friends reconnecting." Kol smiles.

"Okay." I agree. He tells me where and when to meet him. He parts with a kiss on the cheek.

I hurry back to the hotel and get into bed. I'm actually looking forward to having drinks with Kol. I can tell that most people think he doesn't care about anything but I know that it's just a façade. Deep inside he's a loving brother and friend. It just takes him a while to show that side. When the sun breaks through the curtains I pull the pillow over my head. I want to sleep in today for once. It's late afternoon when I get out from under the covers. I drag myself to the tiny bathroom and take a quick bath. I pull my hair up into a bun and pull on a black wig. I dress quickly and grab my purse. I walk down to the restaurant the Kol had told me to meet him and enter. Kol already has a table when I approach a server. I make my way to the table and sit quietly.

"I ordered you a vodka." Kol gestures to the glass in front of me and winks. He knows that's my danger drink. I push it away and tell the approaching waiter for water.

"Thanks, but no thanks." I smile. "Where should we start?"

"Where did you go after you left?"

"You should probably ask where didn't I go? I was really big on traveling. I never stayed in one place for more than a couple of years." I explain. "What about you?"

"We stayed in Europe mostly. Traveled around there for a while before jumping across the pond and settling in a few large cities. Now, we're here." Kol gestures around him.

"It's a nice place you've built up." I admit.

"My brother is the technical founder." Kol cocks his head.

"How's he doing?"

"He occupies his time with drinking and women. Not that I'm complaining."

"He hasn't met anybody special?"

"Not even close. He has a different girl every night and most don't see daylight."

"Well he was doing that when I was with you guys." I tell him.

"One thing is still the same; you weren't his girl. He's still attempting to move on and forget after eight hundred years."

"Maybe we should just hire a woman to act like me?" I suggest.

"Forget paying. We just compel her." Kol dilates his eyes.

"Kol, always a gentleman." I raise my cup of water.

"Speaking of gentleman." Kol looks behind me. I follow his gaze to the door. Standing at the front of the restaurant is Niklaus, Elijah, and Rebekah. I look back at Kol before running. I use my vampire speed to run to the back of the restaurant. I take cover in the kitchen. I compel the cook and servers to pretend I'm not there. I wait and listen quietly. I listen to Kol make some fake excuse as to why he asked his siblings there. I breathe a sigh of relief. I'm still waiting in the back when I hear the sirens. I can understand the man talking into the blare horn. His voice sounds familiar but I can't place it. When I hear the gunshots ring through the air I run out the back of the restaurant. The dumpster behind the building makes perfect cover. I wait until I hear the sirens leaving to enter the restaurant again. The dead bodies are everywhere. Some are bleeding; others look like they're sleeping. I realize that most of the dead are vampires. This must have been a popular hang out. Kol and his siblings aren't to be found anywhere.

"Emerson." I turn to a man I never thought I'd see again.

"Mikael." I take a deep breath. He was the man yelling into the blare horn.

"Didn't think I'd see you here? I thought you had cut off your ties with my children." Mikael smiles.

"I did. I was trying to lay low here in town when Kol recognized me and got me to have drinks with him. I didn't know that he invited his siblings to join us. I was hiding from them in the back when you got here." I explain.

"I've been hunting my children for several hundred years, Emerson. I've vowed to myself to rid the earth of them. Now I know you are not like them. So I will give you this one chance to run as fast and as far as you can." Mikael gestures to the door.

"I'm sorry how everything turned out Mikael." I run past him but stop at the door. "You were a great father. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now you might want to…" He holds up his hand and spreads his fingers apart. "…disappear."

I run out of the building and straight back to the hotel. I pack my things and untie Altair from the carriage. I put my things on his back and put him into a fast run. Mishelle and her brother are the only people alive who I can trust with everything that occurred tonight. Luckily Altair is fully rested so he manages to carry me quite far without getting tired. We get to the one place Mishelle loved more than New York in record time. Entering Delaware feels strange. It's been a couple decades since I stepped foot anywhere near Mishelle's hometown. I have a feeling she'll be here. I'm praying she'll be here. I really need a friend right now.

**-This was another background chapter. The next chapter will be the last one on Emerson's past. I will then jump forward to either season three or season four of TVD. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up soon. Please review with thoughts and suggestions. I love hearing them. Thanks for reading.**


	3. Returning Home

**Returning Home**

_**-1903-**_

It didn't take to long to Mishelle. She was staying at her parent's house with Marcus. They've managed to keep hold of the house all these years. Mishelle almost slammed the door when she saw it was me. I put my foot between the door and the frame to keep it from closing. I ignored the pain when Mishelles tried to force the door shut. I begged her to listen to me. After a few minutes of persuasion she opened the door.

"What are you doing here?" Mishelle crosses her arms over her chest.

"I want to apologize for everything." I pause. "I looked for you after you left with Marcus. I stayed in New York for years hoping to see you or Marcus."

"Where's Nicholas?"

"Dead. He got bitten by a werewolf and passed away from the infection." I tell her.

"I'm sorry, Emerson. I know you loved him." Her serious expression fades.

"Yeah. I guess it's about time I learn to deal with loss." I shrug.

"Have you contacted the Mikaelsons at all?" Michell asks me.

"I tracked Niklaus to New Orleans hoping he'd help Nicholas. I was too late but stuck around for a while." I tell her about what had happened in the French Quarter with Kol and Mikael.

"Wow. Sounds like you've been busy." Mishelle smiles. "Marcus will be happy to see you. He's missed his second sister."

"I've missed you both. Living without my two best friends is way more difficult than I thought." I joke. Mishelle calls Marcus into the living room. The surprised look on his face causes me to smile.

"How have you been?" I pull him into a hug.

"Good. Great actually. Being back home has made everything a lot easier." Marcus steps back.

"Where are your bags? We need to get you unpacked." Mishelle starts towards the door.

"So I can stay?" I put on my puppy dog face.

"How can I say no to you?" Mishelle laughs. She helps me get my luggage and put Altair into the stables. Joking around with my best friends assures me that things can get better.

We stay in Delaware for a decade and a half. We had a good life there but staying in one place for too long always leads to trouble. Mishelle knows this and under my persuasion we head to New York. When we decide to move again, Marcus chooses the new location. He closes his eyes and runs his pointer finger over a map. I get excited when his finger lands on Chicago. We pack up our belongings and head out on the road.

_**-1922-**_

We buy a medium sized house on the outskirts of the city with enough space for our new horses to run around. Marcus doesn't need much help to build a stable. It only takes a few days. We go out on the town almost every night. I have to admit that the flapper fashion is one of my favorites so far. I wouldn't dare cut my hair too short but wearing a wig completes the look easily. I enjoyed the partying lifestyle until some unexpected news reached me one night. An acquaintance of mine had spotted Niklaus and Rebekah at a speakeasy the night before. I thank the vampire and quickly pull Mishelle aside to inform her.

"We don't have leave. He's in love with you right? He'll be so happy to see you… and I can finally meet the ex best friend." Mishelle's excitement is evident in her eyes.

"I don't know. Trouble follows him. You remember what I told you about his dad hunting him and his siblings. Mikael can show up anywhere, anytime." I inform her.

"Don't be a party pooper. If his reputation is right, it'll be so much fun to party with him." Mishelle grabs my hands. "Can you please introduce me? Please?"

"Mishelle, he's not some celebrity." I laugh.

"Please?"

"Fine. But we have to find him first." I give in.

"Marcus!" She calls her brother over. "Do you think you can use your people to find Niklaus Mikaelson?"

"You want find a Mikaelson? Are you insane?" Marcus asks his sister. She just smiles and begs him until he agrees. Mishelle's methods of persuasion still don't cease to amaze me.

"Thank you" Mishelle pulls her brother into a hug. He pushes her away and makes a comment about not being a baby anymore.

Marcus' people work fast. They manage to locate Niklaus and his sister within a couple of days. They tell us his favorite speakeasy that he likes to hang out at. Mishelle picks out a rather short outfit and uses her power of influence to get me to wear it. I put on the black wig and walk to the speakeasy with Marcus and Mishelle. I feel my stomach going crazy when I step inside the door. It's either nerves or I'm truly going to be sick. I pull Marcus and Mishelle up the second level with me so we can get a better view. I spot him almost immediately but pretend I didn't. I wait until Mishelle recognizes him. She nearly jumps out of her skin when she finds him. She practically drags me down the stairs and through the crowd. As we approach Niklaus, I feel my stomach do a flip. I convince Mishelle I'm going to be sick and run to the bathroom. When I realize she didn't follow me, I pray she didn't introduce herself. I stay in the stall until I can calm my stomach. I take a deep breath and step out of bathroom. I head straight towards Mishelle was pulling me. When Niklaus comes into view I stop. Mishelle is already talking to him. He seems to be enjoying her company. I'm about to turn around when I hear my name.

"Emerson" I recognize Niklaus' voice.

"Hello, Niklaus." I turn towards him.

"I have to admit that I didn't believe your friend when she told me you were here." Niklaus smiles.

"Mishelle doesn't lie." I return the smile.

"I've… I've missed you, Emmy." Niklaus stutters.

"I've missed you too, Niklaus." I whisper.

"Are you going to stick around this time?"

"This time?"

"Kol told me that you found us when we were back in the French Quarter." Niklaus enlightens me.

"You're father found me and let me go." I tell him.

"Mikael has been hunting my siblings and I for years but he's always liked you more than us." Niklaus chuckles.

"Well I'm guessing he still hasn't found you."

"We've managed to escape him several times."

"Where's Kol? And Elijah?"

"Elijah abandoned Rebekah and I a while back. Kol's got reunited with Finn." Niklaus sighs.

"And you're here living it up like always."

"You can join me, Emerson. You will always be welcomed." Niklaus puts out his hand.

"Niklaus, where did your sister run off to?" A young handsome man walks up behind Niklaus.

"I think she retired for the night." Niklaus turns to the man.

"And who is this?" The stranger looks at me.

"Stefan, this is Emerson." Stefan holds out his hand. I shake it willingly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Stefan kisses my hand. I smile.

"You too." I look at Niklaus. He keeps handsome company.

"How do you two know each other?" Stefan asks us.

"We're very old friends." I put my hand on my hip.

"Very, very old friends." Niklaus corrects.

"So you're a vampire?" Stefan meets my eyes.

"Yes. And you are too?"

"Of course. The best kind." Stefan chuckles. Niklaus takes my hand.

"Why don't we get a table?" He pulls me with him. He gestures Mishelle and Marcus to join us. We find a table big enough to fit all of us.

"You and Rebekah are an item?" I ask Stefan after a few minutes of chitchat.

"Yes. She's quite the fireball." Stefan jokes.

"All the Mikaelson's are." I smirk.

"So, how long have you known Niklaus?" Mishelle asks Stefan.

"A couple of weeks. He hated me at first until I showed him what I can do."

"And what is that?"

"A ripper." Niklaus answers.

"It sounds like you guys are proud of that." I lean back in my seat.

"Maybe we are." Niklaus says.

"I think we should leave." I stand from my chair. "It's getting late."

"Please stay." Niklaus stands up.

"We need to talk in private, Niklaus." I purse my lips. He leads me to a more secluded area.

"You can't leave now. We just reconnected, after all these years." Niklaus takes my hand.

"Niklaus, the reason I left was so that you could change because you wanted to. You're the same man that I left all those years ago." I shake my head.

"I can change… for you." Niklaus pulls me into him. "Please just don't go."

"You should want to change for yourself and your family, not just for me." I run my hand down his cheek.

"I need you, Emerson." Niklaus wraps his arms around my waist.

"You don't. You need to move on and learn to live without me, and forget the thought that we have a chance. I don't love you so the quicker, the better." I lie. I kiss him on the cheek and walk away. I grab Mishelle and Marcus and pull them out of the speakeasy with a nod goodbye to Stefan.

I don't say a word to my friends until we get back to our house. I pour each of us a drink and slump down on the couch. I explain how I lied to Niklaus about my feelings so he could move on with his life. Mishelle tries to get me to go back and tell him the truth but I refuse. I know for sure that Niklaus is better off without me right now. Even Marcus tries to help his sister convince me to go back to Niklaus. I retire to my bedroom and take a slow bath. When I get into bed I try not to think about anything. I don't until I fall asleep. I dream about what would have happened if I had stayed with Niklaus and his siblings the entire time. It played out a lot differently than the life I'm living now.

"Emmy! Emmy! We got to go, now." Mishelle shakes me awake.

"What's going on?" I rub my eyes.

"After we left the speakeasy, Mikael showed up with the police. He raided the whole place and killed all the vampires. He's going through town singling out the rest of the vampires. He's going to kill us all. We have to leave, now." Mishelle moves away from my bed and walks over to the dresser.

"What about Niklaus?" I get out of the bed. "Did he make it?"

"I don't know. But we need to leave before Mikael finds us." Michelle starts packing for me.

"Okay, okay. Is Marcus ready to go?" I help her throw my clothes into a bag.

"Yes. He's already packed. He's getting the horses into the trailer." Mishelle doesn't stop packing.

"That's all I have. Let's go." I grab my bags and start down the stairs by Mishelle's side. We get to the car just as Marcus finishes hooking up the trailer. I put my things into the car.

"Do you think we could drive by the speakeasy?" I look out the window.

"It's too dangerous, Emmy. The place is crawling with cops." Marcus doesn't take his eyes of the road.

"Emerson, you have to trust that Niklaus got out safe. Try to believe that." Mishelle tells me.

"What if he didn't though? Rebekah would be all alone." I feel myself start to worry.

"Try not to think about that. Take your own advice and try to move on, for now." Mishelle wraps her arm around my shoulder and pulls me into a hug. I lean my head against her shoulder. I fall asleep as we drive. I don't dream at all that night.

_**-1972-**_

I've been traveling with Mishelle and Marcus since the night Mikael showed up in Chicago. We moved to a small town in Texas for a while before going up north to Michigan. We lived right on lake Huron. Mishelle met a human while we lived there. When she found out William cheated on her she nearly ripped his head off. Marcus and I managed to keep her from killing him. At Mishelle's request, I compelled her to forget she ever met William while I compelled William to forget he knew Mishelle. We moved to Vermont then Maine. I've realized over the years that I prefer colder weather. Marcus was killed while we were in California.

We'd only been living there for several months when Marcus befriended a vampire. They quickly developed a brotherly relationship. I thought Thomas would be trouble from the start. He wasn't ashamed to tell us that he was the Zodiac Killer that the police had been looking for. He claimed that he killed over thirty-seven victims but I knew that the police had only confirmed two. I guessed that Marcus didn't see the bad in Thomas because he didn't want to believe that the man who had been like a brother to him could kill so many innocent people. When Marcus went missing one night, Mishelle and I spent several days looking for him without sleep. Mishelle and I went by Thomas' house after we gave up looking on our own. The blood on Thomas' shirt confirmed my fears almost immediately. I gave him a chance to explain himself but he admitted to killing Marcus without regret. I pulled a grieving mishelle away from his house and took her home. I know she wanted him dead that night. I offered to do it for her. She didn't want me kill for her but agreed after I pointed out that it would take a lot more for him to kill me than her.

Killing Thomas was quite easy. They hard part was getting rid of the body. Mishelle helped me burn the corpse. We decided it would be best to dump the body in the sea. We rented a boat and rode out several miles. We tied a couple of work out weights to Thomas and dropped him into the water. We left for the east coast the next day. We settled down in North Carolina then Georgia. Mishelle and I weren't tied down anywhere so we visited six different states in the next thirty years of traveling. I managed to get word that Niklaus was still alive. We were never in the same place thankfully.

_**-2004-**_

Living a thousand years seemed like a big accomplishment. Mishelle threw a huge party when my birthday came that year. We were in Las Vegas so it wasn't hard for her. Most of the people that attended were complete strangers but they added to the party atmosphere, which was all I could ask for. I did get a lot of birthday gifts. I ended up giving away most of them but I appreciated the thought. Mishelle wanted to stay in Vegas but I convinced her to move once I heard Niklaus might be making his way up.

**_-March 2010-_**

We retreated back to Arkansas. We stayed more up north than the first time I lived there with Nicholas. I didn't want to be in any familiar places that would remind me of him. Mishelle understood and we bought a large house in my destination of choice. I went back to school for the first time in years. I needed something to occupy my time. Reliving senior year was not as bad as Mishelle told me it would be. I even made some friends. Mishelle played my older sister. We told the same background story that we had used several times before. Our parents died in a car crash leaving Mishelle as my legal guardian. People sympathized for us.

Mishelle and I talked about staying in Arkansas for more than a couple of years. It was a good home. We liked our neighbors almost as much as they liked us. My school friends were oblivious to me being a vampire and never led me to think they suspected it. Mishelle and I fed off of animals and nomads passing through town. Life was going great until Mishelle fainted during dinner one night. I try to wake her when I see that her skin tone starts to fade. I beg for her to open her eyes but she doesn't respond. I watch, as her skin turns gray and I know that she's dead. I've seen enough vampires killed to know the signs.

I wrap her body in a couple of blankets and pack up all my belongings. I grab Mishelle's favorite necklace and Marcus' leather bracelet that she kept. I put Mishelle's body into the back of the Chevy along with my bags. The drive to Delaware is long but I drive the whole seventeen hours without stopping. When I get to Mishelle's childhood home, I carry her body out behind the house. Marcus' grave is already alongside their parents. I grab a shovel from the stables and start digging. I place Michelle into the ground and place the dirt back on hop of her. I find the largest rock I can and use a sharper one to carve her name, date of birth and death, and a short quote. The tears start to swell in my eyes as I back away from the graves. It dwells on me finally that my best friend is dead. I cry as I drive. I cry as I sleep. I cry as I lie awake in bed. My best friend is dead and there is no explanation. No one I can blame. I know need and want my family back. But first I have to find them.

**_-May 2010-_**

The French Quarter has not changed much from the 1900's. The days are still filled with relaxation but when the sun goes down, the night dwellers come out to play. I stay in the shadows about two weeks. One name stays clear in my head while I wander around town, Marcel. I remember Niklaus partying with this man when he saw me. I have a feeling he could help me find Niklaus. I've been hanging around Marcel's favorite bar for over a week. I don't make my company known until I know what will grab his attention. I wait a while to come back to the bar with the intention of getting him to talk to me.

I decide to show a little bit more leg that night. I know it always helps. I compel the bartender to disregard my age and to keep the drinks coming. Throughout the many years of living, I've built up a very strong defense to liquor. I can fake being intoxicated easily though. I sit a few stools down from Marcel and his posse. I make sure to lay my hand out on the bar, with my daylight ring in full view. I raise my voice at the bartender and accuse him of giving me the wrong drink to catch Marcel's attention. I tap my fingers lightly across my cheek and wait for him to make his move. It takes less than a minute.

"Excuse me ma'am but I couldn't help but notice that beautiful ring you've got on." Marcel approaches me. "Where do you find jewelry like that?"

"What, this old thing? It's a lapis lazuli. It's not that rare actually. Most just don't know its true power." I hold out my hand, admiring the blue stone. "I've had forever."

"Can I take a look?" Marcel asks me.

"Of course." I hold out my hand. He takes my hand and moves it around, examining the ring. He runs his finger over the stone and makes a start to take it off. I rip my hand out of his grasp.

"Not so fast, slick." I use my true British accent and look around at his bodyguards. "You see I know who you are and your reputation precedes you. But by the looks of it, you have no idea who I am. Why don't you sit down and have a couple of drinks with me? I can tell you everything you want to know."

"I would but I don't take orders from teenagers." Marcel smirks. I laugh.

"My human appearance age is seventeen. My true age is almost sixty times that. I can tell you more about life and the Originals than anyone else on the planet." I look him in the eyes.

"What did you say your name was?" Marcel takes a step towards me.

"I didn't… yet. Now how about that drink? You partied with Niklaus that means you must enjoy alcohol." I push a full cup towards him. He downs the drink in one gulp.

"Any friend of Niklaus is a friend of mine." Marcel sits down next to me.

"I was hoping you'd say that." I tell him as I drink. We talk and drink for a while before I decide to start opening up.

"So, Niklaus told you the daylight ring secret I'm guessing." I look at the blue ring on Marcel's finger.

"Yes. He shared many secrets with me."

"And your posse?"

"I told them. But I only trust the inner circle with the daylight ring secret." Marcel twists the ring on his finger.

"The inner circle? It sounds like a gang." I laugh.

"It sort of is. Only the elite get accepted."

"Lucky them." I joke.

"What is your name, darling?"

"Emerson MacIntyre but my friends call me Emmy." I inform him. His eyes light up.

"Niklaus told me about you. You are the only Original not related to the Mikaelson's. I didn't want to believe there was another one out there, but I guess I have to now." Marcel shakes his head.

"That would be smart."

"So, how long have you known Niklaus?"

"I was born 1004 BC. The earliest memory of Niklaus or any of his family members was when I four." I revel.

"Was your relationship purely a friendship?" Marcel prods.

"Seeing as how I was in love with Elijah, yes." I tell Marcel truthfully.

"Ah. He didn't love you back though. But Niklaus did."

"It seems Niklaus managed to everybody his true feelings except me." I down another glass.

"If he had, would you have possibly shared that love?" Marcel asks me. I laugh at the honest question.

"I realized that shortly after I left the Mikaelson's that I did indeed share romantic feelings for Niklaus as well. But by then it was too late, and I didn't want to go back to explore that possibility." I explain. "Plus, I met someone else."

"And where is this new man?" Marcel looks around as if Nicholas would pop up somewhere.

"Six feet under. He was killed a werewolf many, many years ago." I shrug.

"So you're single?" Marcel lays a hand on my thigh. I picture myself picking him up and throwing him through the bar window like a pebble. Instead I turn towards him. I run my fingers down his jawbone.

"And ready to mingle." I say the tacky line. He pulls me into the kiss and I refrain from pulling away before he's content. I need to get access to his inner circle and gain his trust. It's the only way I'll be able to locate any of the Mikaelson siblings.

"Are you going to stick around?"

"Of course, Marcel."

"I have to warn you, we like to party hard here in the French Quarter." Marcel pulls away.

"I'm always up for a good time." I wink at my new friend.

"That's what I like to hear!" Marcel shouts. I force a smile. I can tell its going to be a long few months.

The first weeks of being in the French Quarter was easy. It was the rest that became difficult. Marcel tested me several times. He had me carry out a few executions of people who didn't follow his strict rules. I'm not saying I minded it; I've killed too many people to start caring now. Marcel liked having control almost as much as Niklaus. They're a lot alike. The only difference is that I think Niklaus might actually have a heart deep inside of him. I've realized Marcel doesn't give out his trust too easily. I think it helps that we started sleeping together, but even then he wouldn't let me join his secret conferences. I know he's hiding something important but I'll have to wait until another time to uncover that secret. Finally Marcel allows me to lead a follow up on an important lead involving illegal use of witchcraft. The girl begs me to conceal the truth but I know I have to inform Marcel if I'm to be accepted into his inner circle. When the girl fights back and questions my authority in front of marcel's minions, I break off a tree branch and thrust it through her chest. I watch the light go out in her eyes and let her body fall to the floor. Marcel gets mad at first that I killed his victim without his say-so but his friends tell him what the girl had done and he congratulates me for stepping up. I'm considered part of his "family" from that day forward. Most of the others in the group don't like me. They think the only reason I got in was because I managed to seduce Marcel. I don't care about their opinions though. I care about finding the Mikaelson's.

**_-October 2010-_**

I wait several months to bring Niklaus back into my conversations with Marcel. I start mentioning his name casually during our pillow talk. Marcel puts up with my ranting about the Mikaelson's until one day when he can't. He pulls me into his bedroom, away from the party going on downstairs.

"Can you please stop mentioning the Mikaelson's every time we talk?" Marcel asks me.

"I'm sorry, Marcel. I didn't know I was doing it." I apologize.

"It's fine. It just seems like you're thinking about them more than your family here." Marcel takes my hands.

"I… I miss them. And feel like I can't stop." I frown.

"It's understandable, Emmy. You grew up with them and went through a lot of things by their side." Marcel tries to comfort me.

"I just really want to see them again." I dig my fingernail into my palm. I don't feel pain until it hits bone. The tears flow easily.

"I don't know where they are." Marcel tells me.

"Do you think you could give a witch permission to do a locater spell?" I wipe a fake tear from my cheek.

"I don't know…"

"Please, I miss them so much."

"I don't want to lose you. You are part of this family too now." Marcel reminds me.

"I'll come back. I just need to visit them." I purse my lips.

"Fine. Do you have a specific witch in mind?"

"There was one witch that helped me the first time I came here. Her last name was Wonder. I doubt she's alive but maybe a relative is." I inform Marcel.

"Quinn Wonder is who you'd be looking for. I'll accompany you to grant permission." Marcel grabs a jacket from his closet.

"Thank you, Marcel." I kiss him and lead the way out of the hotel where the party is being held. Marcel locates Quinn within a few minutes of leaving the hotel. We wake her up when we arrive at her house. I notice that no parents are around. She looks too young to be living on her own. Her sleepy eyes are barely open when she offers us coffee.

"Hello Quinn. I am here to grant you permission to do one locater spell." Marcel tells her.

"Why?" Quinn asks us with curious eyes.

"She has to find some old friends." Marcel gestures to me.

"And who is she?" Quinn looks at me.

"I'm Emerson MacIntyre." I introduce myself. "I knew your great grandmother. She helped me the first time I visited the French Quarter."

"You're the vampire that came looking to the hybrid." Quinn smiles. "My grandmother told stories about how you were the first and last vampire to even think about asking a witch for help."

"It was important to me that I knew where the hybrid was." I explain.

"She didn't want to help you at first, you know. She thought it would only bring her trouble. Then she saw something in you that changed her mind."

"What was that?"

"Kindness… and innocence." The girl says after a short pause.

"Can you do the spell or not?" Marcel grows tired of the story.

"Of course I can. Follow me." Quinn leads us out of the living room and towards a smaller one. The closed curtains give the purple room a dark feeling. Marcel stops in the doorway.

"Where are you going?" I turn to him.

"If Niklaus wanted me to know where he's been all these years, he would've told me." Marcel sighs. He kisses me quickly and backs up. "I'll be waiting downstairs."

"How old are you?" Quinn asks me. She sits at a table in the middle of the room. She puts a map and a few other items on the table.

"I'm over a thousand years old." I answer.

"And who are we looking for?"

"Niklaus Mikaelson." I mutter the name.

"Again? Did you not find him the first time?" Quinn jokes.

"I did, but we got separated again."

"Are you guys like a estranged couple or something?"

"Something like that. We've known each other since we were kids." I purse my lips.

"Was it love at first sight?" Quinn prods.

"Find him and I'll tell you my life story." I promise her. She gets to work right away. She reminds me of her great grandmother while she mumbles unknown words. After a few minutes she looks up at me.

"He's in a small town named Mystic Falls. Do you know where that is?"

"I know exactly where that is. It's where we grew up together." I then tell Quinn everything about my life that has to do with the Mikaelsons as I had promised. When I finish she just stares for a minute.

"You're in love with two of the Original vampires?" She asks me.

"Yes." I nod.

"Then I should tell you that Elijah is with Niklaus in Mystic Falls, along with Kol and Rebekah."

"Great. We can have a family reunion." I smirk. I stand from my seat and walk towards the door.

"Wait." Quinn stands up. "I don't have any reason to stay here, no ties to this town. I was wondering if I could join you when you go back to Mystic Falls."

"Quinn, I appreciate your help. But people who know me tend to die. You're so young and talented. I couldn't risk you getting hurt."

"Please. I promise I'll stay out of trouble." Quinn begs.

"I'm sorry, Quinn. I'll be back in a few years. Here." I scribble my number on a piece of paper. "Call me anytime."

"I just thought we could become friends. I don't have many of those." Quinn takes the paper from my hand.

"We already are friends and that's why I prefer you stay here."

"Fine. Just promise you'll come back."

"I promise." I smile. She puts the paper into her pocket. I slip out the door and hurry downstairs. Marcel is leaning against the wall when I get to the street.

"How did it go?" Marcel asks me.

"Good. I know where he is." I bit my lip.

"How long do you think you'll be gone?"

"A few months. I'll be back before you know it." I step towards him and take his hand.

"Niklaus said he would come back too." Marcel looks at my hand.

"I'm not Niklaus." I pull him down the street behind me. He matches my strides.

"I know. It's just… I trusted you with some very important information that I do not want spread around."

"I don't tell secrets that aren't mine." I pretend to zip my mouth shut.

"Good. I should probably go. Goodbye's aren't my forte." Marcel stops in front of his favorite bar. I turn to him.

"I'm not a professional either." I smile.

Marcel leans in and kisses me lightly on the lips. I kiss him back. When he pulls away I whisper a goodbye and walk down the street. It takes me minutes to pack my belongings into a couple of bags and toss them in the back of the car. I don't need a map to find my way home. I put down the roof on my 1954 convertible Chevy and drive out of the French Quarter. I know I promised Quinn and Marcel that I would come back. I just don't know how long that will take me.

The drive to Mystic Falls doesn't seem to take that long. As I drive into town I realize that a lot has changed. The people walking around in town look happy. I can tell they are unaware of the supernatural beings living among them. I slow as I pass the high school. I only appear to be sixteen or seventeen. I could easily pass as a high school student. I've enrolled myself in many schools before so I know the curriculum forwards and backwards. The only problem is Niklaus. I doubt he would want me to waste time in such a human institution. As I start thinking about what I would say to Niklaus when I saw him, I get overwhelmed. I pull over at a small business called The Mystic Grill. I don't know what they sell, I just hope its food or alcohol or both. I pull out an old wig I had kept all these years. I'm not ready to be seen yet. I pull the wig over my red-orange hair. I make sure I tuck all the loose strand under the blonde wig and step out of the car. I put on sunglasses for good measure. Kol has a sixth sense when it comes to disguises. I sit at an open booth and grab a menu at the end of the table. As I look over the few choices I hear a young man walk up to the booth. I look at him when he clears his throat. I can see that he's handsome with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. I smile sweetly.

"Hi. I'm Matt and I'll be your server today. What can I get you?" Matt asks with a smile.

"I'll have a burger, raw please. And a side of fries and a diet coke." I put the menu on the table. Matt writes down my order.

"It'll be right out." He put his pencil behind his ear and starts to walk away.

"Wait." I call out. "Are you hiring here by chance?"

"Yes. I'll get you a application." He nods. I watch him disappear into the back of the restaurant. He emerges a few minutes later carrying a piece of paper. He offers me a pencil with the paper.

"The owner said he could give you a interview when you finish."

"Great." I start to fill out the paper at normal speed. "How old do you have to be to work here?"

"Sixteen to be a busboy… or girl."

"Cool." I fill out the paper that I'm seventeen.

"Did you just move here?" Matt asks me. I look up at him. "I mean it's a small town and I don't recognize you."

"I did. My dad and I used to travel a lot before he died from leukemia." I shrug. Matt's quick expression change reminds me how much death effects humans.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Are you staying with family or friends?"

"None of the above. I'm emancipated so I'm allowed to live on my own." I explain.

"I don't mean to be rude but why did you chose to move here?"

"Some old friends are staying here. I wanted to get back in touch." I finish the application and hand it to him before he could question me further.

"I'll get Joe." Matt takes the paper. The owner shows up a minute later and interviews me. I debate on compelling him to give me the job but decide against it. I can tell he likes me. He gives me the job as soon as our interview is over. I tell him I can only work halftime during the school year but he still gives me two shirts with the business logo on it. I start training the next day.

"Congratulations." Matt says as he brings me my food. I thank him.

"What grade are you in?"

"I'm a senior." He responds.

"Me too. I'm starting next Monday at Mystic Falls High."

"You'll like it. There can be a lot of drama but it's a nice school overall."

"So I've heard. I also was told that there are also a lot of interesting people living here." I wink.

"What do you mean?" He squints his eyes with curiosity.

"Nothing." I take a big bite of the burger and grab a few French fries. I throw a twenty-dollar bill on the table and take the soda with me as I stand up. "Keep the tip."

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow." I hear Matt call after me.

"You bet." I lower my voice and smile. "And the day after that and the day after that."

Mystic Falls just got a new residence.

****The next chapter will start somewhere towards the beginning of season 4 but I still have to figure that out. Please review. I'm requesting at least two reviews before I put up the next chapter, which will be as soon as possible. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading.**


	4. First Days

**First Days**

Mystic Falls is a different place to me now. Nothing is the same. I guess that's a good thing. Time can never stop in one specific spot. I bought the nicest house I could find on short notice. The front of the house is mostly stone and drywall. The long driveway puts some distance between the street and I. I admit the house is a little extravagant but I like it. I explore each of the seven bedrooms. I choose the largest room as my own and throw my belongings on the king sized mattress. I make a couple of calls to some friends across the country. They agree to send my possessions I have trusted with them to Mystic Falls. I have a feeling I'll be staying here for a while. The three garages aren't big enough to fit all the cars that I have collected throughout the years though. I take a long hot bath before going to bed. I have to start training at my new job tomorrow and I want to be fully rested. I never know who could show up at the grill.

Matt is put in charge of training me. It's easy so I get the hang of things really quick. The owner decides that I don't need any more help and puts me out on the floor the second day. Nobody I recognize shows up so it's a relaxing first day. I stop by a costume store and pick up several more wigs on the way home. I don't want to risk being seen before I'm ready. The next day I am scheduled to start school. I don't feel any nerves for once when I think about starting at a strange school. This is home and I'm happy to be back.

I decide to go with a long brown wig for the first day of school. It takes me an hour to figure out what to wear but once I do I can't stop smiling. The first impression is always the most important. I choose a simple but edgy outfit that I think would introduce me perfectly. Matt agreed to me giving him a ride when he mentioned that his car was in the shop after a small accident. When I questioned him further on the matter, he tried to change the subject. I could tell he really didn't want to talk about it so I dropped it quickly. I just hope nobody died in the accident.

Matt compliments my vintage car and asks how I manage to get my hands on it. I tell him that my dad used to collect old cars and I inherited it from him, along with his fortune. Matt directs me to the high school and we get there within minutes. I park the car in a random spot and grab my jacket and bag from the backseat. I open the door and start to step out when I see that Matt hasn't moved. I sit back down and look at him. I follow his gaze to a small group of people. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" I ask him. His attention is drawn back to the car.

"I don't think I'm ready to be back." Matt rubs his hand over his eyes.

"If it helps, I'm nervous to be at a new school. It's hard for me to make new friends." I tell him.

"Well, you have me so you're off to a good start." Matt smiles. I take his hand.

"We'll walk in together." I look back at the three girls and one boy huddled together on the grass. It seems like they're talking about something important.

"You have no idea what you're walking into."

"Maybe I don't. But I have a feeling I will." I shrug. I step out of the car and walk around the hood. Matt steps out of the car and I shut the door for him.

"You ready?" I ask him. He takes a moment to answer.

"Sure." Matt puts his hand on the small of my back and leads me onto the grass in front of the school.

I expect him to introduce me to his friends but he directs me to the office instead. As we walk past the group, the only guy looks up. I divert my eyes quickly for I recognize his handsome face from a long time ago. He is the one and only Stefan Salvatore. I can't help but think if he followed Niklaus back home after all this time. I know I need to keep Matt close to me. He seems to have the right type of friends. Matt opens the door to the office for me and helps me get my schedule, books, and locker. I had compelled the attendance clerk to give me same schedule as Matt while he wasn't looking. Matt showed me to my locker and tells me to meet him at our first period. I put the things I don't need at the moment into my locker and shut it. I pull my phone from my pocket and check the time. There's five minutes until the first bell. As I look around I see Stefan Salvatore standing a few lockers down. He's alone so I take my chance. I "accidentally" bump his shoulder as I walk past him. I make sure to drop my two books. They land on the floor with a thud. He's already picking them up for me by the time I kneel. I smile sweetly.

"God, I'm such a klutz. I'm so sorry." I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. He hands me the books.

"No problem." He looks me over with a curious glance. "Are you new here?"

"Yes. It's my first day actually." I stand up quickly and pretend to rearrange my books.

"I'm Stefan Salvatore." Stefan holds out his hand. I take it firmly in mine.

"Breanna Japlin." I tell him the same alias I've been using since I got into town. I was cautious to use Mishelle and Marcus' last name.

"It's nice to meet you Breaana." Stefan smiles. I return it.

"You too. I should get to class… if I can find it." I look at the classrooms nearby then back at my schedule.

"What's your first period?"

"History with…" I scour my schedule.

"Mr. Erickson." Stefan finishes.

"Yes." I laugh. "You have him too?"

"I'll show you to class." He nods.

Stefan closes his locker and walks alongside me through the hallway. I keep my head down as we walk past all the strangers. I don't want to meet anyone more than I have to. Making too many friends makes leaving that much harder. Stefan stops in front of a normal classroom. I see Matt standing by the doorway. He crosses his arms over his chest when he sees Stefan. I bite my lip to stop from smiling.

"Hey, Matt. Do you know Stefan?" I gesture to him.

"Yes." Matt smiles lightly. "I thought you said you knew where this class was."

"I thought I did… then I got lost." I bite my lip nervously. "But Stefan helped me out after I totally ran into him."

"How did you guys meet?" Stefan looks at me then Matt.

"Bre got a job at the Mystic Grill so we work together." Matt says.

"That's cool. We should probably go inside. The bell is going to ring soon." Stefan looks at the watch on his wrist.

"Mr. Erickson usually lets us sit where we want." Matt whispers to me as we walk through the door. "You can sit next to me."

"Okay." I agree happily. He leads me to a seat in the back corner. I drop into the seat next to him. Surprisingly Stefan takes the seat in front of me. I smile at him when he looks at me. As the class fills I don't see any of the girls Stefan was standing with outside. The teacher calls me up after gives the class busywork and tells me not to worry about getting caught up. I get back to my seat and work with matt on the worksheets. I don't need the book to fill out the papers. Stefan joins our group a half hour later with a filled out sheet. He offers to help us out but we've finished as well.

"History is one of my best subject." I smile knowingly.

"Mine too." Stefan says as he checks my paper. He puts it down a minute later without corrections. "Nice job."

"Thanks." I shrug.

The teacher calls the class to attention towards the end of the period. He lets us know that the chapter test will be the following week. As I walk out of class Mr. Erickson tells me I don't have to take the test but I assure him I'll be ready. Matt walks with me to our second period, calculus. I've taken the course about five times so I know I can pass easily. I'm assigned a seat in the middle of the class while Matt is in the back. Third period goes by quickly since its French and I'm already fluent. Stefan joins us for fourth period chemistry. The teacher places me in a seat diagonal to Matt and in front of Stefan. I don't bother taking notes. When the class is allowed to talk Stefan calls over a tall blonde. She smiles as she walks over to us.

"Caroline, I want you to meet Breanna. Breanna, this is Caroline." Stefan introduces me to the girl. I smile and shake her hand politely.

"Stefan told me about you. I've been waiting all day to meet you." I swear Caroline's smile grows. I laugh.

"I love your outfit." I look over her dress. It's not my style but it's cute enough to deserve a compliment.

"Thanks. I got it from this little boutique in town. I could totally take you sometime." Caroline touches my arm.

"Thanks. I would love that." I realize I need to work on my socializing skills a bit more if the people living here are all this nice. The bell saves me from the conversation. I grab Matt's hand and hurry out the door. I ask where our next class is but Matt just laughs.

"It's lunch. We get over a half hour to eat and socialize now." Matt tells me. Matt takes me to the cafeteria and I buy a lunch. We decide to sit on the grass in front of the school along with a couple dozen other kids.

"How are you liking your first day so far?" Matt asks me after taking a bite of his pizza.

"I like it here. Everyone I've met is so nice. I'm not really used to it." I tell him the truth.

"Everyone is always welcomed here." Matt takes another bite as I take my first. "I don't mean to be rude, but why do you always wear wigs?"

"I have a reason, I promise. I can't tell you though… not yet. But I will. You seem like somebody I could trust with my darkest secrets. I just don't think you'd want to know them all." I explain.

"Whenever you need somebody to listen, I'll be here." Matt puts a reassuring hand on my knee.

"Thanks. I'm glad you were my first new friend here." I nod.

"Me too. I need another human friend." A pang of guilt hits me but I ignore it.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean a normal friend." Matt corrects.

"Everyone needs one of those." I joke. I pray he wont hate me when he finds out that I'm not only a vampire, but also another Original. I guess I have to hope for the best. "Do you mind if I asked what happened with you and your other friends?"

"I did something that changed one of their lives. I can't handle being around her right now." He looks at me.

"If she's really your friend, she'll forgive you." I assure him.

"I don't know if she will. But a guy can dream." Matt smiles.

We finish our food a couple minutes before the bell rings. I throw away our trays and Matt walks with me to my locker. I start to close the door when I see Matt looking at a girl down the hall. The brunette is talking with Stefan Salvatore, Caroline, and another girl. I grab Matt's attention by slamming the locker door shut. We take the long way to our next class. I can tell by the way Matt acts that the situation with this girl is more serious than he admitted. Our English teacher tells me that I can sit anywhere and I grab the open seat next to Matt. Stefan walks in a minute later followed by Caroline, the brunette and the other girl. I put a reassuring hand on Matt's as they make their way to us. Stefan sits in front of me. I almost gasp when I see the brunette's face. It's Katerina. This was the last place I thought I'd see her. I hold back calling her out.

"Breanna this is Elena Gilbert and Bonnie Bennett. Bonnie, Elena, this is Breanna." Stefan introduces us. I convince myself she was smart enough to use a fake name. The girls mimic hello's then turn to Matt.

"You haven't talked to us since…" Elena looks at me. "the accident."

"This isn't the time to start talking." Matt tries to do a subtle gesture towards me. I pretend that I'm not paying attention.

"It's not your fault for what happened. I asked him to do it." Elena tells Matt.

"If I wasn't in the car, if I hadn't stopped for Rebekah, none of this would've happened." I can hear the anger in Matt's voice. I know that he's angry with himself not the others. The mention of Rebekah's name does surprise me though. Stefan tries to distract me with a random conversation about where I used to live but I manage to talk with him and listen to Matt.

"Matt, you are my best friend. We've known each other since we were babies, I wanted Stefan to do what I asked, even if the is what it is." Elena whispers. Now I know she's not Katerina. She would never stay in one place for so long. I determine that this Elena girl is another Doppelganger.

"I'm sorry." Matt apologizes. I continue my spaced conversation with Stefan.

"You don't have to be sorry. You did nothing wrong." Elena smiles. The teacher comes into the classroom and starts the lesson. I don't pay attention though. I'm too busy thinking what could've happened in the car accident that was so significant. When the bell rings I spring out of my seat and head straight to my car. I don't have a sixth period so there's no reason to stay.

"Breanna! Breanna, wait up." I hear someone call after me. When I turn around I see Caroline walking towards me.

"This might sound weird but I know that you don't have a sixth period. I'm captain of the cheer leading squad and one of the girls just broke her foot during a competition on Saturday and we need a replacement. Our back up also got injured on the very first day. Anyway, I was wondering if you had any talents that you might want to tell me about because we really need a new member and fast." Caroline pleads. I purse my lips.

"I've done it before." I admit. Caroline pulls me into a hug.

"Is that a yes?" She holds me out in front of her. I nod my head after a second of debating.

"Oh my god. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are saving our team." Caroline grabs my hand and pulls me towards the gymnasium. She takes me to the girls locker room and gives me a uniform, a couple pairs of work out clothes, and a team bag. She waits for me to get try on the uniform. I think it's a little tight by how short the top and skirt is but when I show it to Caroline she squeals.

"It fits perfectly!" She doesn't waste any time. She takes me to the gym and with the rest of the team, she shows me a few routines. My memory is excellent so I pick it up easily. When the final bell rings I sit on the floor next to Caroline.

"You did great today. I'm so happy you decided to do this." Caroline says with her regular smile.

"Me too. It was fun." I admit. I check the time on my phone and remember I have to give Matt a ride home. I don't bother changing and run out to my car. Matt's leaning against the hood of the car. He looks surprised when he sees me.

"Do I want to know?" He gestures to the uniform.

"Caroline grabbed me after fifth period and convinced me to fill in for an injured girl." I explain as I throw my stuff into the backseat and start up the car.

"Caroline is good at persuading people to do things." Matt laughs.

"I can tell. She kind reminds me of an old friend." I pull out of the school parking lot. "Do you want me to drop you off at your house or do you maybe want to come over my house for a bit?"

"I'd rather be anywhere but at home alone." Matt nods his head. I drive past his house without slowing.

"Wow. Your house is as big as the Lockwood's, maybe bigger." Matt stares in awe at my home.

"The who?" I ask him.

"Tyler Lockwood, a good friend of mine. He wasn't at school today. His mom is the mayor." Matt informs me.

"Cool. Now lets get inside before I freeze to death." I shiver when a cold breeze hits me. I unlock the front door and give Matt the grand tour.

"Your house is definitely bigger than the Lockwood's." Matt says after we finish the tour.

We settle down in the living room and pull out our school things. I help Matt with History then Math then French. I make popcorn once we finish and we watch a movie. By the time the movie ends, its half past nine. Matt stands up and packs up his things. He yawns as he walks towards the door.

"You could stay the night if you want." I offer. When he looks at me I regret mentioning it. "I mean I have six extra bedrooms. You could pick any which one."

"Are you sure?" Matt stops in front of the door.

"Of course. It sucks being in such a big house all alone." I purse my lips waiting for an answer.

"I don't have any clothes with me for school tomorrow." Matt rubs the back of his neck.

"We could run by your house and get some in the morning." I suggest. Matt thinks quietly for a minute before nodding. I smile happily. He chooses the second biggest room down the hall from mine. We say goodnight and I close my bedroom door behind me. I feel a lot less lonely knowing there's someone down the hallway. I sleep well for the first time in weeks.

The next few days go by quickly. School helps keep my occupied along with working at the grill and cheerleading. Matt introduces me to Tyler Lockwood. I learn that he's in a relationship with Caroline Forbes and can't help but think they're a typical high school couple, except that he's a hybrid and she's a vampire. After a day or so I learn that most of Matt's friends are of the supernatural kind by listening for a heartbeat. I keep the fact that I'm aware of all this, a secret. I need to stay a clueless human for as long as possible. Tragedy strikes a couple of days later. Everyone gets news of the explosion while we're still in school. Apparently a gas leak caused a house full of council members to explode, killing them all. I know I'm not the only one who thinks this wasn't an accident. In a town full of supernatural creatures, accidents are usually planned.

I drive Matt back to my house that day. He's been staying with me since my first day at Mystic Falls High. I think it's been good for both of us. We don't like being alone and this solves that problem. Plus I miss having a roommate. Matt's car has been sitting in the driveway for almost two days now. We've decided that it's best to save gas and take my car from now on. No one at school is aware of our living conditions and I'd like to keep it that way. For some reason when people hear that a boy and girl are living together nowadays, they assume the worst. Living with Matt also makes our working situation better. We've had the same hours so we get to ride home together. When I pull up in the driveway I see a couple of trucks parked behind Matt's car. It's all my things I sent for. I get out of my car and tell Matt that I'll handle it. I sign for my cars and belongings. The moving men help bring the filled boxes and suitcases inside while I move the cars into the garage. I'll have to explain this all to Matt later. As the moving trucks drive away from my house another car takes their place. When I see Stefan step out of the black car I rush to close the garage doors to conceal the cars that fit. But by the time I get my finger on the right button, I see I'm too late.

"How did you get your hands on these?" Stefan asks me while looking over the 1960 Camaro and Mustang. He moves onto the Plymouth and Buick. I watch as he runs his hands over the Cadillac and Corvette. I know that most people have only seen these vintage cars in magazines. Even the carriage in the corner of the garage catches his attention. I grab his hand and lead him out of the garage before he can examine the rest of the cars.

"My dad used to collect vintage cars. He has the most popular cars from each decade." I explain and pull him towards the house. I almost have to push him through the front door to get his eyes torn away from the cars that didn't fit in the garage.

"That must've been nice." Stefan smiles at me.

"Yes. He took me everywhere in them. People stared but I think he liked the attention." I shrug. Matt comes into the foyer

"What's up Stefan?" Matt asks Stefan. I can tell he's surprised to see him standing in my house.

"Caroline wanted me to tell you about the memorial. She couldn't find you guys after school." Stefan looks around the room.

"Matt, why don't you get Stefan something to drink?" I nod towards Stefan. Matt directs Stefan into the next room. I go outside and cover all the cars sitting in the driveway. I use my vampire speed and strength to run all the boxes and suitcases up to my room. When I join Matt and Stefan in the kitchen, they've barely started eating their toast. I sit next to Matt.

"So, when is the memorial?" I ask Stefan and steal a bite of Matt's bread. He gives me a look but I just smile.

"They're canceling school tomorrow for it. There are a handful of people at school who lost a parent in the explosion." Stefan tells us.

"I can't imagine what they're going through." I try to sound like a helpless human.

"Well, you lost your dad, right?" Stefan asks me.

"What? Yeah, but it wasn't like that… it was a really slow death." I realize how emotionless I sound. "I mean it was really hard but at least I got to say goodbye."

"Pastor young was on a rampage trying to find all the…" Matt stops mid-sentence.

"Delinquents." Stefan finishes. I look at both of them curiously but they just flash a smile.

"Good for him I guess." I let their slip-up go. "Making the town a better place."

"Yeah. He was a… nice guy." Matt stutters. I dig my fingernails into my palm to keep myself from laughing and pointing out how bad they are at lying.

"I should get home." Stefan eats the last of his toast and stands up. "You coming, Matt?"

"Uh… yes. Of course." Matt looks at me. I lead them both to the front door and hug Stefan and Matt. I whisper to Matt to circle back when he leaves.

"So, you'll be at the memorial?" Stefan clarifies.

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world." I smile and nod.

"I'll save you a seat then." Stefan tells me before ducking into his car. Both him and Matt pull out of the driveway. I close the front door and head to my room. I wait until I hear Matt's car in the driveway to get into bed. I need all the sleep I can get. I have a feeling tomorrow's going to be a very long day. Controlling my hunger and emotions is easy for someone of my age. Consoling grieving humans… well that's whole different story.

**-The next chapter will cover the eventful Memorial episode, maybe more. Please review because I love hearing feedback. I'm requesting another two reviews before I put up the next chapter. Random thoughts and suggestions are welcomed happily. I'm putting up links on my profile soon to pictures of my OC's and Emmy's house and main car. I'll probably put the link with the next chapter as well. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading.**


	5. The Memorial

**The Memorial**

Matt wakes me up early the next day. As I rub my eyes I remember it's the day of the memorial service. Matt sits on the edge of my bed as I try to wake up. I check my phone and see that it's only eight. The memorial doesn't start until twelve. I'm about to question Matt about it when I see what he's wearing. I have to admit that he looks good in a suit. It's a casual suit but I still didn't think he would wear one. He tells me he has to help Caroline set up the church for the service so he has to be there by ten. I swing my legs over the side of the mattress and push myself onto my feet. I thank Matt for waking me and jump into the shower. I tie my hair into a bun and slip on a blonde wig. Matt helps me pick out a navy blue dress. I choose my own accessories and shoes though. By the time I put on the last touches to my outfit, it's half past nine. Matt only met me a couple of days ago and already knows me so well.

I let Matt choose which car he wants us to take. He chooses the 1960 corvette stingray. I silently applaud his taste. I throw him the keys and jump into the passenger seat. I can feel the happiness come off of him as we drive. We stop at a breakfast diner and get two breakfast burritos to go. I manage to keep any food off my dress as we drive. Matt throws away our unfinished breakfast when we get to the church. Caroline greets us in at the church doors and hands us both programs for the memorial. She tells us we need to place one on each seat. She also mentions how we're running short on time. Matt and I start at the back of the church and work quickly. I would usually use my vampire advantages to get this done in a minute but I don't want to expose myself to Matt. Elena joins us a couple minutes later. She excuses herself to talk to one of the girls whose father had passed in the explosion. Matt explains to me that Elena used to baby sit the girl. I watch as Elena talks to the girl for less then a minute before running off. Although my curiosity rises a bit, I stay and help Matt with the programs.

When I place a program on the last chair I feel like I should jump with joy. It hasn't taken me this long to complete a task since I was a mere human. I laugh at the memory since it seems so long ago. Matt finishes his side of the isle a few minutes later. He joins me at the front of the church to examine our work. Even though I can't see each one of them, I know that we have placed each program perfectly. Caroline comes running towards us suddenly with the news that people are starting to arrive or more importantly, the grieving families. I sigh and walk out of the church with Matt. Caroline and Matt start to greet the families they've known since they were children. I slip away from the growing crowd and duck behind the side of the church. I start walking the perimeter when I hear people talking.

"What's wrong with me? Why can't I keep it down?" I catch Elena's scared voice.

"I don't know. It must be your doppelganger blood rejecting it. You have to drink from the vein." The man's voice doesn't sound familiar. I peek around the side of the building and catch a glimpse of the tall stranger. I recognize him from a run in we had back in the 1970's

**-1977-**

_Mishelle always liked bar hopping. She liked watching people act drunk. She was convinced that half the people in every bar were faking their partying appearance. I went with her every night to several different bars and clubs. I could feed on as many humans as I wanted to without a worry of getting caught. Mishelle had as much control as me but she didn't care as much about human life. I had killed almost five times as many people as her but whenever we went out to a crowded spot, her number grew._

_The man who introduced himself as Damon was dancing with Mishelle. I was at the bar when Mishelle brought him over to me. I knew he was a vampire by the way he carried himself. It was like he knew he was powerful among this full club of humans. Mishelle was already half drunk and hanging all over him. I pulled her off of him and set her down on the stool next to me. Damon ordered another round of shots. I drank Mishelle's before she could realize they were for her._

"_What's your name?" Damon smiles as he downs a shot._

"_Emerson." I offer my first name._

"_Emerson? Doesn't ring a bell."_

"_That doesn't surprise me." I keep my eye on Mishelle. She's laughing at Damon's last remark._

"_How did you two lovely ladies meet?"_

"_We were neighbors and Mishelle ended up moving in with me after a few months. We've been best friends ever since." I tell him the story. Mishelle smiles at me._

"_This girl… is amazing." Mishelle slurs and looks at Damon. She grabs his cheeks. "Did you know that Emerson is an Orig…"_

"_Origin lover." I clear my throat and try to make sense of what I just said. I pull Mishelle's hand off Damon's face. "I mean I love history and finding out where and how things started."_

"_That sounds… boring." Damon chuckles and grabs another short. Mishelle watches him closely as if hypnotized by his every move._

"_Mishelle, it's getting late. We should get home." I put a hand on her shoulder. She shrugs it off._

"_It's only twelve." Mishelle waves me off._

"_It's actually two, Mishelle." I correct her._

"_Oh, Emmy, stop being a party pooper." She claps her hands over the side of my face and squeezes. Her eyes start to flutter._

"_Are you okay Mishelle?" I come up beside her._

"_She's just a little tired." Damon tells me._

"_She's drunk." I pick Mishelle off the stool and wrap her arm around my shoulder and take a step. She pulls away from me._

"_I can do it myself, Emerson. I'm not a baby." She stands up straight. She takes a few solid steps before stumbling. I rush to her side but she assures me she's fine. I stay on her heels until we get to the car. As I close the car door behind Mishelle I realize I left my purse in the bar. I feel relief when I see it but it quickly fades when I see that Damon's holding it._

"_Back so soon?" Damon holds the purse close to his chest._

"_Can I have that please? It has my car keys." I move to grab the bag. He holds it out of my reach. I don't feel up for playing puppy._

"_I need some payment before I give it back." Damon winks._

"_And what did you have in mind?" I give him a curious look._

"_A kiss should suffice." Damon smiles. I smirk knowingly._

"_Come here then." I motion towards myself with my index finger. He leans in slowly and closes his eyes. I lift my foot off the ground and slam it down on his._

"_What the hell?" He slightly bends over in pain. I plant a light kiss on his cheek._

"_Have a nice life, jackass." I whisper in his ear and grab the now reachable purse. Mishelle is asleep when we get to the car._

**-2012-**

I listen as Elena ducks into the church and Stefan confronts Damon. When Damon tells Stefan that Elena hasn't been able to keep down blood because of her doppelganger heritage, I know for a fact that it's not the truth. The smell of the opened blood bag causes my mouth to water. I look around and see a young man standing by himself. I walk over to him and tap his shoulder and look into his eyes.

"Don't scream. This isn't going to hurt." I smile before allowing my fangs and viens to emerge.

I feed from the man until the point where I know the man will be okay. I let go of him and compel him to forget what I just did. He walks past me as though we never met. I wipe the blood from my mouth with the back of my hand. I look up and see a man I don't recognize watching me. I smile quickly and take a step, planning on compelling him. I stop when he lifts up his shirt slightly. I make out several wooden bullets strapped to his belt along with a few other recognizable hunting weapons. I don't hesitate to use my vampire speed to get inside the church. I slow when I enter the main doors. I find an open seat next to Tyler Lockwood and sit down; hoping the man from outside can't see me.

I watch quietly from my seat as Elena takes to the stage after April Young fails to. As she starts to talk I smell it, the blood. I know it's a trap so I don't make any movements to find where it's coming from. Instead I watch as the others fidget. Elena's eyes grow wide as she talks. She can smell it now.

"Do you smell that?" Caroline whispers. I know she thinks I can't hear her.

"Blood." Tyler answers. I pretend to have my attention focused on Elena.

"Nobody move. Don't turn around. It's a trap." Damon speaks just loud enough for me to catch his words.

Elena starts to breath heavier and takes a pause from talking. She's having a hard time. Luckily Stefan steps up and escorts he off the stage and back to her seat. I stand when the choir starts to sing but the smell of the blood doesn't fade.

"The blood, Stefan. The blood; I can smell it. There's so much." I can hear Elena mutter. Stefan pulls her close to him.

"It's alright. Just remember what we talked about. Focus. Push back. Come on, you can do this." Stefan tries to help her.

"What's wrong with her?" Matt asks.

"She's hungry. She hasn't fed." Stefan explains.

"So get her out of here."

"I can't. There's somebody watching us." Stefan tells him.

"I'm going to go rip his head off now." Damon whispers.

"You do that, Damon, and you risk exposing all of us." Stefan informs his brother.

"Oh, I think the risk will be slightly diminished when I, you know, rip his head off."

"Stefan, I'm losing it." I can hear the worry in Elena's voice. I keep singing quietly.

"You have ten seconds before I go old fashion on the new guy." Damon tells Stefan.

"Don't do it, Damon, please." Stefan pleads.

"Three, two, one, bye…" Damon counts down.

"Wait, wait, wait. Elena, feed from me." Matt suggests. "It's okay. Everyone will think you're just upset. Feed from me."

I can hear Elena's fangs puncture Matt's skin a few seconds later. Matt was right though. It looks like he's just consoling her. I start to worry when I hear Matt's heart beat slow slightly. Elena stops though and thanks him. Her heavy breathing has slowed but not by much. She's still hungry. I know she won't last long. I bite my lip and sigh. I push my way past the other people in our row and walk down the aisle.

"The blood. I can still smell it. It has got to be April. We have to help her." Elena turns to Stefan.

"Elena, we can't risk it." Stefan mutters.

"Then I'm going to do it." Elena tries to move out of the aisle but Stefan stops her. I take the microphone from the podium, cutting off the hymns.

"Excuse me. I just wanted to say a couple words about Pastor Young and the other amazing people who lost their lives." I ignore the blood smell and press on. "I didn't personally know any of them, but from what I've been told I can tell they were really good at their job of keeping this town in check. I lost my father a couple of years ago and I know that like him, your family members and friends who have passed would want you all not to dwell on their deaths but move on and enjoy life to the fullest. I…"

The gunshot rings out a second before I feel the bullet hit my chest. The force knocks me to the floor. I groan at the slight pain caused by the wood. I fall unconscious but wake a few seconds later when I feel the bullet pulled out of my chest. When I open my eyes I see Tyler holding the piece of wood. I smile.

"Thanks." I run my hand over my chest and feel the blood but the wound is already gone.

"You have some serious explaining to do." Tyler tucks the bullet into his pocket.

"I know." I let my head lie back on the floor and use my real British accent. "I'm going to kill that bastard."

"Damon's already way ahead of you." Stefan says. He turns to Elena and tells her to stay put.

"What about April?" Elena questions.

"I got it. Go." Caroline tells Stefan before he leaves.

"I have to call an ambulance." Carol Lockwood states.

"No. She's fine." Caroline assures Tyler's mom.

"The whole town watched you get shot." Carol looks at me. "I'm calling an ambulance."

"Elena?" Caroline looks around for her best friend.

"Go find her. I'll stay with Breanna." Tyler says. Caroline kisses him before running off towards the back of the church. I feel the ache in my chest as I try to sit up.

"That hurt like a mother." I push myself up into sitting position.

"Why did you do that?" Tyler asks me.

"If you couldn't already tell, I'm a vampire. I could hear everything you guys were saying. I knew Elena wouldn't be able to hold on much longer and the hunter had seen me feed earlier so I knew he'd take the bait." I shrug. "Plus, I'm not affected by worthless wooden bullets."

"I was thinking of doing the exact same thing." Tyler laughs.

"Well then, your welcome for saving you from taking a trip to the emergency room." I smile.

The medics arrive and place me on the stretcher despite seeing that my wound had already healed. I'm guessing the mayor already talked to them. Tyler rides along with me in the ambulance. When we get to the hospital, a Dr. Fells checks my vitals and helps me make up a medical history. They check me into a room for the night to keep up appearances. I'm surprised to see Elena, Stefan, Caroline, Matt, Jeremy, and Tyler come into my room once they allow visitors. Even Damon shows up. They all sit somewhere around the room and wait.

"So, I think we all deserve an explanation for what happened at the memorial." Matt seems angry as he talks.

"I'm sorry for lying to you all. I have a reason for doing it but I really can't tell any of you. And if you all have some mental disorder and decide to still be friend with me you ought to know that some of my secrets are better kept that way… at least for now." I pause. "It's kind of for your own safety. It's a lot better if you know less."

"Are you hiding from someone?" Caroline questions.

"Sort of. I'm kind of not ready to be found yet. I don't think any of you will be injured because of me. I'd just feel a lot better if I was positive about it." I bite my lip and pull off the blonde wig that I've managed to keep on all this time. Most of the gang looks surprised but Stefan seems confused. I hope he wont call me out when he recognizes me.

"I'm guessing Breanna isn't your real name." Matt mutters.

"No. But I'll tell you guys everything eventually. I promise."

"Look, what you did today was great and it practically makes us family. Because that's what family does, they risk their lives for each other. And I'm perfectly okay with you keeping secrets just know that in this town, the darkest kind tend to come to light before your ready. But hell, I'll be here for you the whole time." Caroline smiles and I feel like I should be crying.

"Same. You saved all of us from being exposed in front of our whole town. You're one of us now, whether you like it or not." Elena adds.

"Yeah. I always knew something was off about you." Tyler lightly punches my arm.

"I don't know. I'm sick of all the secrets in this town. I thought you were different." Matt shakes his head.

"I promise I will never lie to you again." I take his hand. He looks at me and nods. I'm planning on keeping this promise.

"We should all be getting home." Elena takes her brother and starts towards the door. The rest follow her after quick goodbyes.

"Stefan, Matt, wait up. I need to talk to you both." I call after them. They come back into the room. I look at Matt. "I was just going to tell Stefan but I promised I wouldn't lie to you anymore, and this is me trying keep that promise."

"What is it?" Matt looks concerned.

"My real name is Emerson MacIntyre." I introduce myself.

"I knew I recognize you from when I was with Niklaus in Chicago." Stefan tells me.

"I was kind of hoping you would." I laugh.

"You two met before?" Matt asks us both.

"A long, long time ago. In the 1920's." I clarify.

"You were alive then?" Matt looks at me.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you guys about so just bear with me." I take a deep breath. "I was born over a thousand years ago in the same village as the Mikaelson's. When I was sixteen werewolves slaughtered my parents and brothers. My mother managed to hide me in a tree while she led them away. Mikael and Esther took me in as one of their own children after that. When the youngest Mikaelson, Henrik, died Mikael turned me into a vampire along with his own kids. One of the big secrets I've been keeping is that I'm an Original."

"That's not possible. Nobody has ever mentioned you." Matt tells me, unbelieving.

"I traveled with the Mikaelson's for a couple hundred years after we got turned. Eventually I thought it was for the best if we went separate ways. I wasn't with them when they got their reputation as the Original vampires."

"Is that who you're afraid of, Klaus Mikaelson?" Matt stands from his chair.

"I'm not afraid of him. I wanted to come back. I want to reunite with them. But when I came into town I realized that so many things have changed and I was afraid that they did too. I just wanted to get the hang of living here in Mystic Falls before I revealed myself to them." I explain.

"How long are you planning to keep your true identity a secret?" Stefan asks me.

"Not too long. Just until I feel comfortable here so if they try to make me leave, I can honestly say that I want to keep living here with my new friends."

"Look, we wont say anything to anyone until you want us to. But Caroline is right; secrets always manage to come out before you're ready. You have to ready to deal with that." Matt says. I nod.

"I'll make sure to be ready when that happens, I promise." I pause and smile. "And I always keep my promises."

**-There it is. Matt and Stefan now know that Bradley is really Emerson. Yay. I got some questions about when the big reunion between Emmy and Klaus will be and I'm not sure yet. I'm going episode by episode so I have to wait for the right moment. I'm hoping it will be soon. But first I want her to trust the whole Mystic Falls gang with her true identity. I will promise that Emerson will talk to Klaus soon but only as Bradley. Please review. I love reading suggestions and comments. I'm requesting another two reviews before I post the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading.**

**++ Here is the link for the story collage which includes pictures of my OC's, Emerson's house, a few of her cars, and her outfits. Just remove all the spaces. The link is also on my profile for easier access. Enjoy.**

**www. weheartit . com (Add slash here) Ariella411 / sets / 9804794 - the - original - friend**


	6. The Rager

*****I appreciate all your reviews so much. It helps me make this story that much better. I have now realized, thanks to someone's observations that TVD is set in 2010 still. I was going by the airdate of the episodes, so my bad. I will go back and change that as soon as possible. I have realized how manly the name Bradley is so I am looking for a new alias name for Emmy. It was just a bad idea and I regret it. Please help me out by reviewing with name suggestions. And thank you for all the reviews!**

**The Rager**

Football. An American past time passed down through the ages. I remember going to my first one in the 1870's. Standing on the sidelines in my cheerleading uniform is quite boring. We only cheer when they make a play or fumble. It's fun watching Stefan and Tyler play though. I can't stop myself from wincing when they get hit. Football is definitely a contact sport. We're loosing by five so Caroline tells us to do a quick pep cheer. The game finishes with us having lost by three. I pack all my things into my team bag and swing it over my shoulder. I check my phone to make sure that I'm not late to pick Matt up from work. Caroline walks with me out to my car.

"Remember to wear your uniform to school, the pep rally is during second period so just go straight to the gym." Caroline informs me.

"Why can't we just sit down in the stands like everybody else?" I ask her. My British accent is noticeable as I talk. I only use it when I'm around my friends though.

"We're cheerleaders. We have to lead the cheering for our school." Caroline bumps my shoulder. "Duh."

"I never realized how peppy American's are compared to the British." I smirk and throw my bag into the backseat.

"That's because we're not afraid to show how awesome we are." Caroline smiles. She turns and walks to her car. "I'll see you on Monday… with your uniform and a peppy smile, right?"

"You got it boss." I use my index and middle finger to salute her. She ducks into her car.

"Emmy! Wait up!" I hear Stefan call after me. I turn to him in disbelief.

"Are you serious, Stefan? Everybody can hear you." I gesture around to the almost empty parking lot.

"Everyone who is sober is still in the locker room." Stefan points out with a smile. I sigh.

"What do you want?"

"I just thought I should warn you that Niklaus mentioned to me that he caught wind that you might be heading to Mystic Falls soon. I suggest you lay low for the weekend." Stefan tells me.

"Who exactly had that kind of information?"

"He just said he heard from some friends down south." Stefan shrugs.

"Marcel." I groan and let my head fall back against the car.

"Who?"

"No one important. Just an old acquaintance." I purse my lips.

"I got to go meet up with Elena but take my advice. Lay low and try to stay out of trouble. That hunter is still on the prowl." Stefan reminds me before walking of to his car. I get into my own and start up the engine. I head straight for the Mystic grill since now I am late. Matt is waiting outside when I pull up. I apologize as he gets in.

"It's fine. I figured the game ran late." Matt shrugs.

"Pretty much. I forgot how long they are." I pull away from the grill and start towards home. Matt has practically moved in with me since I told him who I really am. He thinks he needs to protect me. I appreciate the thought. As we walk through the front door I pull off the dark brown wig I wore to the game. These things get rather itchy.

"Want me to make you something to eat?" Matt asks as he sets his stuff down on the floor near the base of the stairs.

"No. I'm good. I'm ready to sleep until Sunday." I smile and drag my cheer bag up the stairs behind me for dramatic effect.

"Sounds like a plan." Matt laughs. "But we have early shift tomorrow at the grill."

"Don't remind me." I moan. "I'll set an alarm but I wouldn't put it past you as a bad idea to come check in on me tomorrow morning."

"I always do." Matt calls out as he goes into the kitchen. I've realized that he is always hungry.

I throw the wig into the bathroom and change out of my uniform. I undo my bun and let my hair down. The bed feels so nice as I lay down. I'm asleep the second my head hits the pillow.

**THE NEXT DAY…**

I help Matt carry out two trays of food to one of his tables. I don't know who could eat so much food but I get my answer when I put down the buffet. Tyler, Stefan, Elena, Caroline, and Jeremy are all sitting at the same table. If the boys are anything like Matt, I know they can eat all the food themselves. They grab for the different plates after a quick exchange of hellos.

"I thought I told you to lay low." Stefan whispers.

"I have to come to work unless I want to get fired." I inform him.

"This is the main place everyone goes to get food. You know that he'll eventually wander in here." Stefan continues.

"It's fine. First of all, he isn't the best at recognizing people. Second, the girl he thought he knew would never even think of working in a place like this." I nod my head, assured.

"Who are you guys talking about?" Elena asks as she starts to eat.

"This guy from our history class." I pull an answer out of thin air. I shrug when Stefan gives me a look.

"We should get back to work, but it was nice seeing you guys." Matt grabs my arm. I follow him willingly.

"You and Stefan both need to start talking to me in private whenever the subject concerns Niklaus or my true identity." I walk behind the bar and grab a wet cloth. I run it along the counter top, catching any crumbs.

"I haven't said anything in front of anyone." Matt holds his hands up in surrender.

"I know. I just don't want to tell them all before I'm ready." I throw the cloth in the sink and lean against the counter. I watch Stefan leave with everyone. I try to take inventory of random items but get bored Right after lunch hour is always the slowest time.

"Excuse me, love. Can you get me a beer, please?" The gruff voice comes from behind me at the bar counter. I turn around.

"I'm not allowed to serve alcohol." I look up and nearly drop my inventory sheet. I feel stupid for not recognizing his voice. I divert my eyes from his.

"Then can you get someone who can, please?" Niklaus asks me. I purse my lips. Matt and I are the only ones working since the bartender is sick. I sigh and reach under the counter.

"One beer coming right up." I put the bottle on the counter and use the opener to pop off the cap. I slide it over to him. I breathe as normally as possible while trying to keep the wild butterflies in my stomach at bay.

"I thought you said…" Niklaus grabs the bottle.

"The bartender isn't working today." I draw up enough courage to look him in the eyes. I look away quickly though. "If you'll excuse me, I'm really busy with… my other customers."

"You don't have any." He gestures around the empty room. I realize the flaw in my excuse.

"I'm sorry. I'm just really out of it today. School's been so draining." I try to sound like a normal teenager.

"Are you in your last year?" He takes a drink.

"Yes. Thankfully, it's almost over." I smile. He chuckles.

"You're young. You should cherish every moment you have." Niklaus looks down at the counter. I rack my brain for a witty response but give up.

"Do you?" I pause. "I mean, you're pretty young too."

"I try to. It's hard sometimes for I don't live a regular life."

"Sounds… fun."

"Most of the time it is." Niklaus smiles. He drinks the last of his beer and stands up. He drops a twenty on the counter. "Keep the tip, love."

"Thanks." I pick the money.

"I'll see you around town… I didn't catch your name."

"Breanna." I tell him. He nods.

"I'll see you around town Breanna." Niklaus says before walking out of the restaurant.

"Was that Niklaus?" Matt emerges from the back room.

"Yes. He didn't recognize me though."

"How do you know?"

"Niklaus is the kind of person who would confront me as soon as he figured it out." I lean against the counter. In the end I'm glad that Niklaus didn't recognize me but while we were talking I was kind of hoping he would.

**MONDAY…**

Elena and I sit in the back row in history. Stefan joins us a couple minutes before the first bell rings. Matt had to run back to the car so I knew he would be late to class. Elena has been feeding from Matt daily since the funeral. I'm always nearby in case she needs help stopping. I've watched several newly turned vampires struggle with being content with the bare minimum amount of blood. It looks like Elena is about to cry as she stares at the chalkboard. I look to Stefan for an explanation.

"It's the first time we've been back in Alaric's classroom." Stefan looks at his girlfriend. Matt told me that Rebekah had killed Elena's last legal guardian.

"First period and I'm ready to bawl my eyes out." Elena sighs. I can see the tears forming in her eyes. I put my hand on hers and open my mouth to try console her but I a familiar voice causes me to lose my train of thought.

"Morning, everyone." Rebekah's voice rings out through the class. I purse my lips and turn forward in my seat. When I see the girl who I used to treat like a sister, I have the urge to hug her.

"And just like that, I'm no longer feeling sentimental." Elena sits back in her chair.

"So I'm throwing a little anti-curfew party at my house. Starts during fifth period goes until whenever." She keeps handing out posters and makes her way down our isle. "You're welcome to come, Elena, if you want to bury the hatchet."

"That's a pretty enormous hatchet." Elena scoffs.

"Yeah, well I'm feeling generous of spirit." Rebekah smiles.

"New house, huh? Did your brother finally kick out?" Elena looks at the poster. I listen to the newly divulged information.

"He didn't kick me out, I left."

"So you left the only person on earth who actually likes you?" Elena asks Rebekah.

"Well, your boyfriend liked me once. Actually a lot more than once." Rebekah counters.

"Why are you still in town, Rebekah?" Stefan joins the conversation. I keep my eyes on my desk. "Don't you have anywhere else to go?"

"History is my favorite class. Actually, where is Mr. Saltzman?" Rebekah looks around the room. "Oh, that's right. I killed him."

I watch as Elena takes the pencil she's been tapping against the desk and throws it at Rebekah. The pencil comes close to hitting Rebekah but she catches it before it does. Rebekah twirls it around her finger and hurls it back at Elena. Unlike Rebekah, Elena isn't quick enough to catch it. It enters her shoulder. The blood seeps through her cardigan. Elena grunts as she pulls the wood out of her. The bell rings as Elena stands up and walks out of the class. I follow Stefan out into the hallway.

"Breathe, just breathe. You haven't felt this kind of rage before." I try to help her calm down.

"I hate her. I didn't think I was capable of hate but I hate her and I hate that I hate her." Elena looks over Stefan's shoulder. "That's the hunter."

"What the hell is he doing here?" Stefan follows her gaze to the man standing a few feet away.

"Jeremy." Elena mutters her brothers name as the hunter starts towards him. "No."

"Hey, hey. We need to take care of this." I gesture to the blood covering Elena's hand.

"I'll take care of the hunter." Stefan leaves Elena with me and walks in the direction of the hunter. I go into the closest bathroom with Elena. I grab a paper towel and hand it to her. She runs it under the facet and wipes the drying blood off her hand. She drops her cardigan to the floor and wipes the area around where the puncture wound used to be. The bathroom door opens and a girl from our history class walks inside with her hand resting on her neck.

"There you are. Rebekah sent me to see if you were okay." The doe-eyed girl tells Elena.

"I'm fine, Heather." Elena throws the bloodied towel into the trash.

"I'm not." The girl mutters and removes her hand from her neck slowly. I see the blood before I can smell it. It drips from her neck to her collarbone. I can hear Elena take a deep breath.

"Breathe, Elena. Focus on me." I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She looks at me and nods as her breathing starts to calm.

"What's wrong, Elena? Getting hungry?" Rebekah joins us in the bathroom. Heather lifts her hand from her neck and pushes back her hair. The smell of the blood intensifies. I keep my hand on Elena.

"No. Stay away from me." Elena backs up.

"But she's so delicious." Rebekah runs a finger over the blood on the girl's neck and holds it out at Elena. I pull her back again but Rebekah reaches for her face. Elena slaps away her hand.

"You shouldn't be here." Elena looks at Heather. "This is my school. This is my life and I'm not going to let you ruin it."

"It's also my school now, my life. Maybe you're the one who shouldn't be here. And I couldn't help but overhear that there's a vampire hunter roaming the hallways." Rebekah runs her hand over the blood on Heather's neck. "How inconvenient for you?"

Rebekah acts faster this time and manages to run her hand over Elena's face. The blood smears across Elena's cheek, lips, and nose. Elena shows her fangs and growls viciously. Rebekah steps back and smiles.

"See you in gym. I think it's dodge ball day." Rebekah leaves the bathroom. As Heather walks into a stall, I grab Elena's shoulders. I look her in the eyes.

"Elena, listen to my voice. Focus on your breathing and me. I know that you don't want to hurt Heather or anyone for that matter. Believe and rely on that." I explain. Elena nods as she listens. I can hear her heart beat calming. I take her hand and pull her out of the bathroom, stopping to grab her cardigan off the floor. We don't need to leave any evidence for the hunter. I pull her through the hallway until I find Stefan. Caroline is standing with him.

"What happened?" Stefan looks at the both of us.

"Rebekah decided to stop by the bathroom with her own personal human blood bag." I roll my eyes. I never remembered Rebekah being this bad. Something must've happened after I left to make her turn out this way.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asks Elena. She starts to nod her head but stops. She shakes her head.

"No. I need to get out of this hallway. I can still smell the blood." Elena fidgets.

"Let's go outside." Stefan leads us out to the loading area behind the school.

"It was a valiant first day effort. No one will judge you if you want to go home." Caroline sits on one of the tables outside. I sit next to Stefan.

"I don't want to go home. I want to take the white oak stake and kill her. That's how mad I am. She made me murderous." Elena starts to pace back and forward.

"Maybe we should leave the murdering to Damon." Stefan stands from the table.

"And do what? Ignore her to death?" Elena laughs.

"Look, she's trying to make herself feel better. She knows that everybody hates her so she's trying to hate harder." Stefan sighs. "Tell you what; let's just skip the rest of the day, go have some fun. I feel like this day has been really lacking in fun."

"Yeah. Okay. Fine." Elena nods. "We'll go to her party and show her that she can't intimidate me. I just have to go home and change first."

"She seem a little off balance to you?" Caroline asks us after Elena gets out of hearing distance.

"Yeah. She's channeling all her emotions into rage. It makes her feel like she has purpose. I did that too when I was left all alone for a while." I shrug.

"She just needs to come to terms with it, confront it, and let it in before she can let it go." Stefan continues.

"You're guys are good at this." Caroline looks at Stefan. "You saved my vampire life, now you're saving hers. You should write a book."

**LATER…**

"We don't have to be invited in." I state as I walk through the front door.

"I wonder who used to live here?" Stefan wonders.

"Or died here?" Elena scoffs. She stops walking and I see her looking at Rebekah.

"You're fixating." I inform her.

"No. I'm just quietly hating." Elena keeps watching Rebekah.

"This is mine now." Stefan stops a guy walking by and takes his beer. I smile.

"The perks of being a vampire."

"Have a drink. It will help you let go." Stefan hands his cup to Elena. She takes it willingly.

"April's here." Elena says as she raises the cup to her lips. I turn around and see the girl from the church walk past. "I'm going to go say hi."

"And I'm going to find something stronger than beer." Stefan smiles.

"I'll join you." I walk with Stefan further into the house. We find a couple bottles of vodka in one of the rooms in the back. I take the cap off one of the bottles and take a long drink. Stefan takes it from my hand as I pull it away from my lips.

"That is good stuff." Stefan laughs after he finishes his turn with the bottle. A couple of boys from the football team come into the room. They start a conversation with Stefan about the next game.

"I'm going to go find Elena." I whisper into Stefan's ear before ducking out of the room. I roam through a couple of rooms and finally find her in the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" I ask her when I notice her hiding behind a large cabinet. I can see that her skin is lightly burned.

"That bitch took my ring and threw it down the garbage disposal." Elena points to the sink. I hurry to the sink and reach my hand into the drain. The ring isn't too far down thankfully and I grab it easily. I hand run it over to Elena and watch as she slips it on her finger. I back up so she can get out of her hiding spot.

"Thank you." Elena walks around the sink to her bag. When I see her pull out the white oak stake I feel my heart skip a beat.

"What are you doing? How did you get that?" I walk over to her and touch the stake lightly. I have never touched the one thing that can kill me.

"Damon gave it to me."

"What exactly are you planning to do with it?"

"I'm going to shove it through Rebekah's heart." Elena keeps her focus on the stake. I sigh.

"Is that the white oak stake?" Stefan asks as he comes into the kitchen.

"Yes, and I'm going to use it on Rebekah." Elena tells her boyfriend.

"I would suggest for you not to do that." Stefan looks at her.

"Stefan, she's not going to stop. She's just going to keep pushing and pushing." Elena sounds frustrated.

"Well, if you want to kill her…" Stefan moves out of the way. "I'm not going to stop you."

"But see, here's what will happen; it will feel really good for about ten seconds. And after that, tens of thousands of vampires all over the world will start to die. Every vampire she has ever turned will die." He pauses. "See, rage is a really powerful feeling. But guilt, take it from me will destroy you. So, you can either go after her… or you can get on the back of my motorcycle and we can get the hell out of here."

Stefan puts out his hand and Elena drops the stake into his hand. He takes her hand and nods to me to follow them. I follow them out to the front of the house. When we step out onto the front patio I see Rebekah and sigh.

"Leaving so soon?" Rebekah pokes at Elena. Elena stops and turns to her.

"No. Not just yet." Elena smiles and tosses her bag at Stefan. "I never got a drink."

"Careful now." I tell her when I realize what she's planning. She places her hands on either side of the nearby keg and lifts the rest of her body until she's in a handstand position about the beer filled tank. I laugh when I see Rebekah's facial response.

"Now I'm ready to go." Elena smiles and wipes her mouth. Stefan hands her the bag and they continue to the motorcycle. As Elena hoists herself onto the back of the bike Stefan turns to me. He comes inches from me and lowers whispers into my ear.

"Keep this safe for me." Stefan slips the stake into my hand. I grab it and push it into my own bag.

I smile at him and Elena as they pull away on the bike. I go back into the house and decide not to drink any more. I watch kids from school dance until the crowd dwindles down to just a few people too drunk to leave. I help them out of the house. I use my super speed to clean up as much as possible on the first floor. I move up to the second floor and look around quietly before I even think of using my speed. When I go into one of the rooms I find Rebekah laying on her bed. She doesn't look well so I come to the side of the bed and touch her arm. Her eyes flutter open and she sits up quickly.

"Who are you and why are you up here?" Rebekah asks me.

"No one important." I hold up the trash bag. "I'm just cleaning up."

"Did everyone leave?"

"Yes." I nod and pick up a red cup on her bedside dresser.

"I remember you. You're Elena Gilbert's new bodyguard." Rebekah scoffs.

"Friend. I'm her friend." I correct her. Rebekah pulls herself to the edge of the bed and tries to stand up. The second she puts weight on her feet, she sits back down on the bed. "Are you okay? You don't look too good."

"I'm fine. Just a little sick." Rebekah rubs her forehead.

"It seems like a lot more than that." I pause.

"It's werewolf venom. Luckily it doesn't effect me for long." She explains.

"I don't know what you're talking…" I start.

"Please. I know you're a vampire. I saw that you were helping Elena in the bathroom at school and in the kitchen earlier." She waves away my last response.

"I'm trying to help her as much as possible." I purse my lips.

"You look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?" Rebekah studies my face.

"I… uh… I… um…" I bite my lip. I have two possible choices right now; tell her the truth or deny it and wait. I know which one I want to choose. I just need to make sure I make the right decision.

-**Cliffhangerrrr. Should she tell Rebekah or wait? Please review to help me out with that decision and a new alias name because I need one badly. I'm requesting another ****two**** reviews before the next chapter. I really appreciated all the suggestions and comments. It's really helping me with this story. Thanks for reading and hope you liked it.**


	7. My True Self

***Thanks to a reviewer, i have realized that season 4 is set in 2010. I will go back and change that on the other chapters but i corrected it on here.**

**My True Self**

**~1492~**

_"I don't get what they see in her." Rebekah scoffs as we watch Elijah talk with Katerina. It seems like he's hanging on to every word that comes out of her mouth like it will be her last._

_"She's young, beautiful, a girl, and human. Everything he's ever hoped to find in a girl." I take a long drink out of my filled cup. Rebekah laughs aloud._

_"Please, Emmy. If he were smart, he would understand she's no good for him. Then he can realize that you two would be great together." Rebekah smiles at me. I open my mouth to object but close it quickly._

_"I would definitely be okay with that." I keep my eyes on Elijah._

_"I just think it would be amazing if we could really be sisters." I can hear the excitement in Rebekah's voice._

_"You already are my sister." I take her hand._

_"Promise me that you will never leave me here alone with my brothers." Rebekah turns to me. I don't hesitate to answer._

_"I promise that I will never abandon you."_

_"We'll be the trouble making duo of the century." Rebekah winks._

_"Of the millennium." I correct. She pulls me into a short hug._

_"I'm happy those werewolves didn't kill you." She looks me in the eye._

_"Me too. I never thought my life would end up on this path, but I'm happy it did." I admit._

**~2010~**

"Do I know you from somewhere?" Rebekah asks me. I feel my breath get caught in my throat.

"I… uh… I… um…" I purse my lips, trying to make up my mind of how to finish the sentence. Rebekah's never was the person to forgive easily so I know my chances of getting slapped, hard. I broke one of our most important promises days after I made it. I'm not sure if I'd want to forgive myself. I lift my hand to my wig slowly and pull it off. I let it drop to the ground while keeping my eyes on Rebekah. I'm surprised to see the tears forming in her eyes. "It's me; Emerson."

Rebekah takes two long steps towards me. I brace myself for the worst but when she gets to me, she pulls me into a tight hug. I wrap my arms around her waist.

"I thought you were dead…" Rebekah's voice wavers. I hug her tighter.

"Why would you think that?" I ask her.

"Niklaus told me that Mikael found you and killed you back in New Orleans." Rebekah steps back as she explains.

"He did find me but he let me go." I shake my head.

"I'm so happy to see you. I thought I had lost my only sister." Rebekah pulls me back into a hug.

"I'm so sorry I left. I just thought that…"

"You don't have to explain it to me. I know you were just trying to improve our family."

"I thought Klaus would realize that if he kept living like that, he'd lose everyone he loves some way or another."

"What did Nik say when he saw you?" Rebekah sits on the edge of her bed.

"I haven't told him that I'm back yet." I scrunch my nose.

"And why is that?" Rebekah questions.

"I didn't leave him with the nicest goodbye the last time I saw him." Rebekah gestures for me to elaborate. "I told him I didn't love him."

"Why would you lie straight to his face like that?"

"It wasn't a lie." I defend my bluff.

"Look, despite my favoring you and Elijah ending up together, I cannot deny that you and Nik would be pretty epic as well." Rebekah nods.

"I don't want to be that girl who is in love with two men at once. Especially when they're brothers." I sit next to Rebekah on the bed.

"Emerson, no matter what happens my brothers and I will always love you, even if it's as a sister. It's inevitable." Rebekah shrugs.

"I told him to move on, and I can tell he has. I don't want to just come back into his life and ruin all his progress."

"Are you kidding me? He still has feelings for you. I found an old picture of you in his wallet a while back. He hasn't given up on you yet… and even if you can't admit it, I know you fancy him too." Rebekah looks at me.

"I… I…" I pause. "You're right."

"I always am about these types of things." Rebekah smiles.

"So, what do I do?"

"You tell him the truth and hope for the best." She tells me.

"What about Elijah?"

"Let's just worry about one brother at a time." She laughs. She quickly adds. "I'll go with you if you want."

"No. Thanks for the offer but I need to do this on my own." I assure myself.

I can feel the butterflies starting to form in my stomach just when I think about Klaus. I've never been big on nerves, but this is almost overwhelming. I let Rebekah rest while I clean. I know that time is the only thing needed to heal her from the venom. Once I finish picking up the trash, I leave quietly. I get into my car and go straight home. I sigh a breathe of relief when I hear Matt's faint breathing as I walk through the front door. I'm glad he's asleep so I don't want to explain what just happened. I don't want to tell him how I'm planning to tell Niklaus who I really am because he might have tried to talk me out of it and he might have succeeded. My comforters engulf me in warmth when I finally get into bed. I don't dream at all that night thankfully.

**THE NEXT DAY…**

I make sure to get up before Matt's alarm goes off. I leave a note on the kitchen counter explaining how I have to handle some important business and that he'll have to drive himself. My Plymouth is the quietest car so I drive that one so I don't wake up Matt. Rebekah had written down Klaus' address on a piece of paper but I already have it memorized. I pause at the beginning of the long driveway for a minute before continuing. I park behind a dark car and step out. I didn't bother wearing a wig or colored contacts today knowing I would just take them off eventually. I try to ease my breathing as I walk up to the large front doors. I press the small doorbell button and knock lightly on the door three times before stepping back. I tap my fingers against the side of my leg as I wait for the door to open. It's a bad habit I've been trying to break since I was human.

When the door doesn't open after a minute I knock and ring again. Still the door remains shut. I try a third time before giving up. I know if I leave, I might not come back so I sit on the top step and rest my elbow on my knee and cup my chin in my hand. My fingers subconsciously start tapping my cheek. I put my hand down to stop. I hear the click of the lock on the door and stand up quickly. I turn around to face the man I've been avoiding for almost 100 years. I'm taken aback when I see that he's not wearing a shirt. My eyes immediately dart around to anywhere else but his bare chest. When I look back at him, I see a smile form on his lips.

"Come inside, love." He moves out of the doorway. I hesitate but walk past him into the large house. I stop in the foyer and wait for his next move.

"What would you like to drink? Beer…? Vodka?" Niklaus winks. I turn to him and see that he's put on a shirt thankfully.

"Water, please." I want to be sober for the awaiting conversation.

"Well, that's no fun." Niklaus smirks as he leads me into the living room off to the left of the foyer.

"I didn't come here to have fun, Niklaus. I came to talk." I stand in the entryway.

"Sit. I can tell this is going to be a long conversation." Klaus gestures to the furniture set. I sit on the couch and swing my right leg over my left.

"I expected you to be more… angry." I stutter.

"How can I be angry when my oldest friend has just returned from an extended vacation?" Niklaus hands me the glass of water. I make sure to avoid his touch.

"Because of what I said last time we talked." I remind him even though it may not be the best idea.

"I know you didn't mean it. Kol passed on what you told him in New Orleans." Niklaus takes a long drink from his own glass.

"About what?"

"That man Nicholas and the fact that you fell in love with him because he reminded you of me." Niklaus smiles as he finishes his sentence. "I don't know why you thought it was a good idea to lie to me."

"I'm not the one who lied, Kol is." I keep a calm face.

"I know that's not the truth, love." Niklaus leans in. He stops an inch from my face.

"You're not the one I love." I look away from him and at my water.

"I'm aware of your feelings for my brother. The thing is, I don't care. Elijah isn't even in town and probably won't be returning anytime soon." Niklaus chuckles. "And I know that no matter what you say that you do in fact care for me as well."

"I care for you as a brother and that is all." I stand up from the couch. I place the glass down on the table in front of me with a thud. I start towards the door, hoping to get out of the house before I lose it. "I do not appreciate you calling me a liar though."

I get to the living room entryway when I feel him grab my arm. He slams me into one of the walls with his hands on my shoulders. He slides his hands down my arms and intertwines his fingers in mine forming a tight hold. I keep my fingers loose around his. I know it would take a lot of effort to break free from his grasp. He leans in until his lips are brushing mine as he talks.

"You're telling me that you feel absolutely nothing more than sibling love towards me?" He asks me. I bite the inside of my cheek to try to keep my breathing steady. I take a slow deep breath before even thinking of talking. I lean in so my lips are right next to his ear.

"Nothing." I whisper.

I yank my arms free from his hold and continue towards the door. I know I have to wait until I get into my car and three blocks away to start freaking out. I grab the door handle and turn it halfway. Niklaus grabs my hand, spins me quickly, and pulls me into a kiss. I start to kiss him back when I remember my supposed position on the matter. I push him away from me.

"Kiss me again and I'll rip your heart out with my bare hands." I threaten him before flinging the front door open and running down the steps.

I jump into my car and pull out of the driveway in reverse at the highest speed I can manage. I hit the brakes when I near the end of the driveway and jerk the wheel just hard enough to spin the car around. I stomp down on the gas and speed away from Niklaus' house. School started only ten minutes ago. I was planning on skipping but I need to talk to someone right now. I don't know whom until I park in front of the school. I go straight to his first period and tell the teacher that the principle needs to see him. He follows me out into the hallway and outside. I make sure we're alone before I start talking.

"What's wrong?" Stefan asks me.

"I just visited Niklaus." I pause. "And I couldn't imagine it going any worse."

"What happened? Did he hurt you?"

"No, of course not. I'm the first girl he ever liked. He would never hurt me." I shake my head. "He… Niklaus… He kissed me."

"You're freaking out over a kiss?" Stefan smiles knowingly.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm freaking out because I… enjoyed it." I mutter.

"That's a bad thing?"

"I was supposed to keep him from thinking we had a chance to, you know, date… court, whatever. But then he did that." I sit at one of the rusting tables and rest my head on my hands.

"Why don't you just tell him how you really feel?" Stefan sits down next to me.

"It's Niklaus Mikaelson we're talking about here. He's already got his head so far up his ass it could be a hat. If he knows that I really do care for him like that, it would make everything I've been fighting for him to realize to just be thrown away." I bury my face in my hands.

"Maybe instead of leaving him to make him change, you should be with him." Stefan suggests.

"There's also the whole Elijah thing." I look at Stefan. He looks confused. "It's pretty much a you, Elena, and Damon situation but a thousand years in the making."

"Who do you truly love?"

"It's been Elijah pretty much my entire life. But then I realized that I had the same type of feelings for Niklaus." I pause. "God, I'm such a freak. I fancy not only one Mikaelson brother, but two. What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing is wrong with you. You've known them your entire human and vampire life. You liking one of them was kind of unavoidable" Stefan shrugs. I stare at him.

"For such a young vampire, you have a lot of wisdom." I smile. "It's kind of frightening."

"I scare myself sometimes." Stefan shrugs.

"Are you still…" I motion my index and middle finger down, like fangs then run my finger across my neck.

"No. I only drink animal blood now." Stefan explains.

"Good for you. I know how hard it is to keep control of a urge like that." I look down at the table.

"You do?"

"I mean… I've seen a few vampires go through it. So I understand."

"Whenever you need someone to talk to, give advice, I'm here for you."

"Thanks. Matt offered the same thing but it's different with him. I don't think I can talk about this kind of stuff with him. He might not understand and then I could lose him as a friend."

"He liked you enough to stay your friend after you told him what you really are, I think he can handle hearing about your love life." Stefan nods.

"Maybe. I just don't want to lose the first person who reached out to be my friend." I purse my lips.

"You won't." Stefan stands up. "We should get back to class."

"I just want to go home and bury myself under my covers." I sigh as I walk next to him. He stops in front of the side entrance.

"It always helps me to take it day by day." He pauses. "And consider telling Niklaus the truth."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"If I was him, I think it would be easier for me to change if I had the girl I love by my side." Stefan shrugs and pulls open the door.

I purse my lips and nod. I slip past him through the door. I sneak into my first period and sit down. As my teachers give their lessons and lectures I don't pay attention. Matt questions me about what I had to do this morning. I just tell him that I had to talk to someone. He realizes I don't want to talk about it and drops it thankfully. Cheer practice runs late after school. I'm too worn-out to change out of my uniform so I throw my things into my cheer bag and walk out of the gym. I walk around the large brick building and nearly drop my bag when I see who is leaning against my car.

"Hello, Emerson." The man takes a step towards me. He is the last person I want to see in Mystic Falls right now.

**-Who do you think the mysterious man is? Start guessing away. Haha. Thanks for all the reviews. I love reading them. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please keep reviewing. I know this chapter was pretty short but I'll make the next one longer. I'm requesting ****two**** reviews before I update again. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up soon. Thanks for reading! I will be responding to some reviews below. **

**TheGirlWithTheHeadphones:** Thank you! Emerson told Matt she was a vampire in chapter five while she was in the hospital.

**VampireJacinta: **I know. Thank you so much for pointing that out. I realized I was getting carried away on the gang so I made sure this chapter gets the story focused on the Originals again. I hoped you enjoyed it!


	8. The Original Ripper

**The Original Ripper**

"What the hell are you doing here, Ossie?" I take a step back.

"I just came to visit the first girlfriend I ever had." Ossie smiles charmingly. I listen to make sure nobody is coming out this way before picking him up off the ground by the neck and slamming his whole body hard onto the grass. He winces as he it's the floor but his smile returns. I snarl at him with my fangs.

"You better leave this town before I rip you're your heart out of your chest with my bare hands." He lets out a quick short breath as I tighten my grip on his neck.

"Come on, Ems. I just want to have a little fun." Ossie winks. I push my hand down towards the grass.

"Fun? You call what we did fun? That was slaughter." I shake my head.

"They had no importance being alive. They were mere humans." Ossie tries to justify our doings. "And I know that if I stayed here long enough, I could get you to do it all over again, starting here."

"That was a long time ago. I'm not the same person I was back then. And I sure as hell would not hurt anyone in this town. Neither will you."

"We'll just see about that. I know I can get you back to your fun old self." He smiles and looks to his left. "Someone's coming by the way."

I make the mistake of turning my attention away from Ossie. The second after I lift my head, I'm on my back. Ossie has one hand wrapped around my neck. He runs the other down my cheek. I bite at him but he pulls before I can sink my fangs into him. He laughs aloud.

"If you don't comply with all my requests I promise I will kill everyone you love here. I know you're still the girl I met way back when. And soon enough, you'll be her again. You'll see." Ossie whispers into my ear. I close my eyes and feel him take his hand off my neck. When I open my eyes, he's gone.

"Emerson, are you okay?" Caroline comes running towards me. She kneels by my side.

"I'm fine. I really need to go though." I stand up quickly and pull my bags onto my shoulder.

"Why were you on the floor?" Caroline asks me. I can tell she's a little concerned.

"I was just… resting." I wave away her worries. I get to my car and dig through my bag for my keys.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." She smiles at me before going to her car. I find my keys, open my door, and slip into my seat.

"Of course." I tell her. I close the door and tear out of the parking lot. I keep my foot on the gas the entire time I drive. I manage to hit all the green lights. I drive straight to the one person who would understand the pure fear I am feeling right now. I ring the doorbell and wait impatiently. The door opens to a smiling Damon.

"I was wondering when you were going to pay me a visit." Damon smirks.

"I'm here to see your brother." I sigh. "Is he here?"

"I'm sure you could've imagined my surprise when I saw you at the memorial the other day. Where's your little friend? If I remember correctly she's the one who liked to party." Damon reminisces.

"She's dead. Now can I talk to your brother?" I cross my arms over my chest.

"How'd it happen?"

"I don't know. She just dropped dead one day during dinner. Sure took me by surprise." I tell him the truth. Damon looks away as I finish my sentence.

"I'm sure it did." Damon looks at the floor.

"Do you know what could've happened to her?" I ask him. He opens his mouth but closes it right away. He rubs the back of his neck.

"No idea." Damon shrugs.

"Emerson?" Stefan comes into view behind his brother. He comes to the door and opens it wider. "What's up?"

"I really need to talk to you." I look away from Damon. I have a feeling that he knows more than he's telling me but I'll have to wait to question him further. Damon smiles before he walks away.

"About what?" Stefan asks me as he lets me into the house.

"Is there somewhere we can talk?" I look around the house.

"Follow me." Stefan leads me to a room on the second floor. When he sits on the bed I realize it's his bedroom. "Is something wrong?"

"I lied to you." I pause before continuing. "about how I know about rippers."

"You didn't know someone who went through it?" Stefan places his hands out behind him so he can lean back.

"No. It wasn't a friend, it was me. I was a ripper back in the 15th and 16th century." I mutter.

"What are you talking about?" Stefan sits up.

"I was a ripper, Stefan."

"I… Wha…You can drink human blood though."

"I don't have a problem controlling my bloodlust… when my emotions are on." I continue. "When I left the Mikaelsons I went through a hard time. I was alone all the time. Then I met Oswald Herbold and he told me about turning off my emotions. I did and that's when I went on a killing rampage over three continents, six countries, and seventeen villages over the span of two years. All while being urged on by Ossie."

"Why didn't you think you could tell me this earlier? I never thought I would meet someone who has gone through the same thing as me." Stefan puts his elbows on his knees and rests his chin on his clasped hands.

"Almost no one knows about me and I want to keep it that way. The massacres were so spread apart that no one connected them." I explain.

"So why tell me now?"

"Ossie showed up at school today after cheer practice. I don't know what he's planning exactly but I do know it has something to do with me becoming a ripper again. He threatened to kill everyone I love if I don't do everything he tells me to." I tell Stefan.

"How do you think he would get you to go back to being a ripper?"

"I don't know. But that's not the only thing I'm worried about." I hesitate "Ossie has no regards for human life. He only killed half as many people as I did but he didn't have his emotions off like me and he's not addicted to blood like you. He does it for the thrill and amusement, which makes him that much more dangerous."

"And now he's here in Mystic Falls." Stefan sighs.

"He will murder everyone in this entire town without an ounce of remorse if we let him stay."

"I'll help you kill him before he does." Stefan stands up and walks towards me.

"Ossie is probably one of the best martial artists I have ever met. He's smart and cunning. We're not going to be able to just walk into his house and stab him with a stake."

"What do you have in mind then?"

"I don't know. We'd have to trap him and make sure he couldn't get out before killing him, quickly." I plan aloud.

"There is one person who could probably kill him easily." Stefan looks at me.

"Who?" I hesitate to ask.

"Klaus." Stefan stops a foot away from me.

"I can't. He would never do it." I shake my head.

"You said yourself that he loves you. Take it from someone who knows, he will do anything for you." Stefan shoves his hands into his pockets and shrugs.

"I'm kind of afraid to ask because then I'd owe him." I admit. "And I'm sure he'd make me repay it soon."

"If he can't do it then we'll find a way."

"He's going to love that I'm going to him for this."

"I think it would help you if you turned up the flirting." Stefan suggests

"I don't think it will do anything. I just rejected him a few hours ago." I point out

"It couldn't hurt."

"You want to bet?" I crinkle my nose. Stefan chuckles.

As I leave Stefan's house I know there is only one person who can help me, whether I like it or not. I remind myself to act civil as I drive. When I knock on his door I keep my eyes open for Ossie. He could show up anywhere at any time. Niklaus answers the door and I can see the surprise in his face.

"Back so soon, love?" Niklaus smiles. This earns an eye roll from me. I push past him into the house.

"I need your help, Nik." I turn to him once I enter the foyer.

"With what? Practicing your kissing?"

"No… I need you to…" I pause. "I don't need to practice kissing. If anyone here needed help with that, it would be you."

"That's no way to talk to someone you're asking for assistance from." Niklaus shakes his head.

"I need you to kill someone for me." I purse my lips and wait for his answer. Niklaus walks into the living room and sits on the couch. I lean against the wall a few feet away

"Who?"

"Oswald Herbold." I mutter the name.

"Your crazy vampire ex boyfriend?" Niklaus asks me.

"Yes. How do you who he is to me?"

"I've managed to keep tabs on you since you left in the fourteen hundreds." Niklaus shrugs.

"So you know about me…" I start. I can't find the words.

"Being a ripper? Or are you talking about killing about nine hundred people over the span of one and a half years?" Niklaus leans against the back of the couch.

"Both." I say after a long pause.

"I was quite impressed when I heard about it. I have to admit that I never saw it coming. I realized that my young naïve Emerson wasn't so… innocent anymore."

"I'm not your anything." I glare at him. "The only reason it got that bad was because I had my emotions off and was being egged on by Ossie."

"So why do you need me to kill him?"

"He's here in Mystic Falls, Niklaus. I think he's planning on making me into a ripper again. And he threatened to kill everyone I care about if I don't do what he says." I explain.

"Did he threaten you?"

"No. But if he manages to bring out my ripper self now, I don't think I would ever recover. I barely got over what I did the first time. I can't go through it again, Niklaus" The tears start to form in my eyes at the memories.

"I wont let him hurt you in any way, I promise." Niklaus stands up and walks over to me. He places a hand on my arm. I smile at him.

"He is the one person who brings out the worst in me. Having him here in town scares the crap out of me." I admit. A tear falls down my cheek. I wipe it away quickly.

"He wont succeed in bringing out that part of you, love. I'll make sure of it." Niklaus pulls me into a hug. I wrap my hands around his neck and rest my head on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Niklaus." I whisper.

"You are my oldest friend, Emmy. Even if you're convinced that you don't love me I know that I love you. I would do anything to protect you." Niklaus steps back but keeps his hands on my waist. "I need you to know that will never stop, no matter what you choose or who you choose."

"I know." I smile lightly.

"I would offer for you to stay here but I already have a guest."

"Who?"

"Don't worry. I'll still get to killing your ex."

"I should get home." I step back from Niklaus.

"Make sure to watch your back until I rid of your little problem."

"I'll be fine. I'm more worried about everybody else." I cross my hands over my chest.

"Worry about yourself for now." Niklaus suggests.

"I'm not you, Niklaus. I can't just stop worrying about people I care for."

"So you haven't stopped caring about me?" Niklaus asks me with a smile.

"I never did. You are my oldest friend, Niklaus. We've been through hell and back. I could never stop caring for you like that."

Once I get into my car I head straight home. I now Matt is probably waiting up for me since it's his day off. Like every other day, traffic is light so I get home quickly. I park my car outside of the garage and walk up to the front door. I can sense something is wrong when I see that the door has been left open a bit. I push it open the rest of the way and walk into the house. I call out for Matt but hear no reply. As I listen for any movement I hear something coming from upstairs. I run to the origin of the noise, Matt's bedroom. I realize that it was the shower. I knock on the door and enter when I don't hear an answer. The shower is on when I walk in. I turn it off and look around the bathroom. That's when I find the note on the bathroom counter. I read it quickly and push it into my pocket once I'm done. I run back out to my car.

I screech out of my driveway and call Stefan. I don't tell him all the details, just enough to get his attention. He agrees to meet me at the school with Caroline and Tyler. I call Klaus and inform him of the same thing. He agrees to meet me at the school also. When I pull up to campus, Stefan is already waiting with Caroline and Tyler. After I tell them all the details, they ask me why I wanted them to meet me here. I hand them the note.

_Dear Ems,_

_It looks you've made a new life for yourself here in this small town. Watching you for two days has been long enough for me to learn who you are close to. Seeing as how you live with this human Matt, I thought I'd kill him first. I'll start with his limbs then move to his torso and rip out each of his organs one by one curing him right before he dies each time. The pain might be enough to kill him. If you wish to save this young mans life I suggest that you meet me at the high school. And fast. Time is running out. Hopefully you wont be too late. Bye for now honey._

_Love,_

_Ossie H._

"We have to get in there." Caroline exclaims after reading the letter.

"I know. But we have to wait." I try to stay calm.

"For what? Backup?" Tyler asks me.

"Klaus is on his way to help us." When Tyler and Caroline give me a congised look I try to explain better. "We need him. As I've told Stefan, Ossie is smart and cunning. There is no way we can take him out by ourselves."

"I'm sure we would be fine." Tyler scoffs.

"I'm sure you would be, until he rips your heart out of your chest." Niklaus comes up behind me. He kisses me lightly on the cheek.

"How do you two know each other?" Caroline looks at the both of us.

"I'll explain it later, to everyone." I promise.

"How about we find Matt." Stefan pulls our attention back to the situation at hand.

"I think we should span out in small groups. Stefan you can go with Niklaus and I'll go with Caroline and Tyler."

"I think I'd rather go with you." Niklaus gestures to me. "To keep an eye on you."

"Ossie is dangerous. I'd rather have one of us with each of them so we can protect them if something goes wrong."

"We'll start on the left side, you guys start on the right." Stefan looks at Tyler, Caroline, and I. We agree that if we don't meet in the middle of the school in a half hour, we should expect something has gone wrong. I walk with Tyler and Caroline to the far right side of the school. We start going through every classroom, making sure not to miss anything that can help us find our friend. I make sure to keep Caroline and Tyler in my sight as we search the rooms. We get halfway through our side of the school quickly. As I look through a classroom I hear a noise from across the hall. I run across the hallway to the room where the noise came from. Caroline is on the floor by Tyler. I run to their sides and try to find where they were shot or stabbed. When I don't find any entry wounds, I realize they must've been sedated with vervain. I hear footsteps coming from behind me. As I start to turn around I feel something hard hit the side of my head. Then everything goes dark.

A slap across the face awakens me. I open my eyes to find myself in a room I don't recognize. Everything gets clearer as I blink a few times. The room is darker than any of the normal classrooms. The four windows have been blocked off by some type of cardboard or wood. When I realize that my arms and legs are tied to a metal chair I try to cry out with no success. A thick tape has been placed over my mouth. It doesn't help any that instead of normal rope binding my limbs, there is a thick metal chain wrapped around my arms and legs. I try to pull my hands free but stop when the metal starts to cut into my wrists. The first thing I notice that worries me is Tyler and Caroline sitting on the floor back to back. I can see that their hands are tied between them. I call out for them but they don't stir. The dose of vervain must have been pretty strong. When I see matt in the corner, also unconscious, I feel a pang of guilt. The cuts and bruises on his face are visible from where I'm seated. I don't even want to think about how else Ossie has been hurting him.

"Hello, Ems. Are those chains a little tight?" Ossie appears in front of me. I nod my head to his question but he just smiles. "Good. I wouldn't want you getting loose now."

"You see, when I first came back I was really hoping you would just cooperate and flip the switch so we can go around and terrorize a couple of developing nations… and you could imagine the anger I felt when you said no. I just had to take it out on someone." Ossie continues with a smile. "Then I saw your little human friend driving home all alone and I thought he would make a perfect target. And he was. I snatched him right as he turned on the shower. Lucky for me he hadn't even had time to unclothe. I thought bringing him here would be a good idea. It's large and an easy place to hide. Do you even know where we are, Ems?"

"Of course you don't. We're in your history class. Funny how when you turn off the lights a place can look completely different, right? It amazed me. I knew it would throw you for a loop." Ossie keeps ranting as I look for a way out and try to push down all the emotions going wild inside of me. "I remember how fun you used to be. We were never tied down and always had a good time. Our all you can eat buffets were the best part of course. I was actually really surprised when you left and I was surprised to learn you turned your stupid emotions back on. I've been looking for you for a while now, you know. It's pretty hard to locate someone when the majority of the population didn't even know you existed. But I did it, Emerson. Oh, I did it. I won the game. Now I can have my prize."

"I'm being rude. You should be able to thank me." Ossie steps forward and rips the tape off my mouth. The burning sensation fades after a minute. "Go ahead, I'm waiting."

"Burn in hell." I mutter. "Niklaus and Stefan will be here any minute."

"Guess again, Ems. Your little friends were so preoccupied looking for little Matty that they didn't even hear me coming. They're tied up in the basement unconscious. They'll probably be down there until they desiccate, seeing as how all your friends here will be dead within a few minutes, and you… you'll be long gone. I'm thinking Africa, then maybe china. We'd have to hit small villages first to warm you up then we can start destroying towns then cities" Ossie smiles with delight.

"Have you spent all this time looking for me? Obsessing over me?" I ask him, repulsed.

"No. I moved on for a while, or tried to. But no one could live up to your standard. I mean the way you tore every victim limb from limb, torturing them until they passed out from the pain. You know I learned my best techniques from you?" Ossie shakes his head and laughs. "You were something special back then. And I'm hoping that amazing girl will come back to me."

"You are bat-shit crazy." I look away from him.

"No, no, no, I'm actually quite smart. I've been planning this a couple of weeks now. I have this planned to the part where we end up being the most notorious killers ever. Kind of like Bonnie and Clyde… but we live in the end. We live forever and keep killing until the entire human population is extinct."

"Are you fucking insane? If there are no more humans, then we can't make more vampires."

"No. I planned that too." Ossie takes a chair and sits down right in front of me. He looks focused as he talks. "We turn probably ten or so people every time we kill a village. By the time we finish, there will be enough vampires on earth."

"You'll never get through the school doors. I won't leave with you." I state.

"And who is going to stop me from taking you? Who is going to stop me from killing everyone in this room and everyone in this town?" Ossie starts to laugh. I'm almost fully convinced he has lost him mind. "I'm invincible, baby. No one can stop me now. I am like a god amongst ants. And you, darling, you're going to be my goddess. We can be fucking insane together for the rest of our lives."

When Ossie drops to the floor, I nearly cry out. Then I see the stake sticking halfway out of his back. I look up, expecting to see Niklaus or maybe even Stefan. Elijah bends down and plucks the stake out of Ossie's back easily. He wipes the blood off with a handkerchief and sticks it into his inner jacket pocket like it's a pocket watch. Elijah turns to me and smiles. I return it happily. He breaks apart the chains from my arms and legs. The abrasions the chain left fades quickly. As soon as I'm freed I can't help but hug him. I wrap my arms around his neck and I feel him place his hands on my waist. I hear chuckle.

"It's good to finally see you again, Emerson." Elijah whispers into my ear. I feel him place a kiss on my cheek.

"I… I thought you were out of town. I didn't expect to see you for a while." I loosen my hold.

"My sister got a message to me that you were back. I came right away." Elijah explains.

"I'm so happy you did." I let go of Elijah completely. I look at Ossie on the ground. His skin tone has now faded to the normal tone of obvious death. I kick his side lightly to make sure. "Thank you so much, Elijah."

"Where is my brother?" Elijah's eyes dart around the room. I move over to Caroline and Tyler and untie their hands. They're still unconscious when I go to untie Matt.

"The basement. I have no idea where though." I tell him as I free Matt. He moans as I sling his arm over my shoulder. Elijah helps with getting Tyler and Caroline out into the hallway. With little help from me, we find the basement. It takes a while but we locate Niklaus and Stefan in a boiler room. I manage to wake Niklaus from his sleep.

"Elijah?" Niklaus stands up quickly.

"Hello, brother." Elijah doesn't smile.

"Come on. We have to get everyone out and back to my house until they can recover." I pick Stefan off the ground but Niklaus takes him and Ossie for me. I know we have to get rid of the body. Elijah supports Tyler and Matt to the car while I get Caroline. I put all three of my friends into the back of my chevy and close the door. They're all still sleeping. I turn to my oldest friends.

"We'll follow you to your house." Elijah says. I nod.

"Maybe we should get Elena and Bonnie." I purse my lips. I haven't seen or heard from them all day.

"They left this afternoon for a little trip. Won't be back until tomorrow." Niklaus tells me.

"They are so lucky they missed this." I walk around to the driver's side.

"Luck has nothing to do with it." Niklaus mutters as we walks to his car.

"Are you guys okay?" I gesture to Niklaus as he closes his car door. Elijah fixes his jacket.

"My brother and I are not on the best of terms. But when he needs me I will always come." Elijah looks from his brother to me. "I've missed you, Emerson."

"I've missed you too, Elijah." I smile.

"You know we have a lot to discuss." Elijah takes a step back towards his car.

"You have no idea." I shake my head and chuckle.

**- I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I added a little more history of the years we didn't cover of Emerson's life. The mysterious man was no one who you knew of so I decided to bring Elijah back because I love him soooo much. Thank you so much for the reviews. I appreciate them so much. I'm requesting ****two**** like always. Remember to review with any random comments, suggestions, or corrections. I love reading them. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'll update as soon as possible. Thanks for reading!**


	9. Family Reunion

**Family Reunion**

**~1490~**

_Sleeping in has been one of my favorite activities of late. Seeing as how I don't have any real obligations other than to show up to some meetings in the town square, I've been pretty bored. Rebekah and I try to occupy our free time with shopping at the outdoor market. When we're not spending our endless supply of money, we're usually at home. It's not any more interesting than sleeping but I don't have any other better options. The Mikaelson brothers drop off the clothes they've torn once a week. I sew the outfits myself with some help from Rebekah. Elijah is the one who normally takes it upon himself to pick up and drop of his brother's clothes. I have just finished patching up one of Niklaus' shirts when the eldest Mikaelson brother walks into the living room. I stand and greet Elijah with a small kiss on the cheek. I put the clothes into a large pouch and hand them to him with a smile._

"_My brother was wrong to doubt that you would be able to repair his shirt." Elijah tells me as I hand off the bag._

"_I'm probably one of the best seamstresses in town, Niklaus should never doubt my abilities." I run my hands over my dress. The wrinkles iron out at my touch._

"_I told him you would never cease to amaze us." He says. I chuckle._

"_Do you want some bread and tea?" I ask him. He nods and follows me to the kitchen. The servants stay out of my way as I guide myself through the kitchen. Rebekah always tells me that we hired help for a reason. She wishes I would put them to good use but I prefer to do things myself._

"_Where is my sister?" Elijah questions as I grab a loaf of bread from a basket and use a knife to cut it into medium slices._

"_She ran to the market. She decided that we need more molasses even though we have plenty." I explain._

"_She has probably gone to see her new admirer." Elijah sihgs. I know that even Elijah, being the most understanding does not approve the idea of his sister courting a human. Like everyone else he is aware that Rebekah will just be left broken hearted again. And none of us want that.  
_

"_He is not a bad man. He comes from a long line of wealth." I try to build up Rebekah's new companion._

"_His wealth status is of no importance to me. If Rebekah chooses, she may marry a simple peasant. I do not approve of the fact that he is human." Elijah pauses. "As you know, my sister tends to choose the wrong type of men."_

"_You mean species." I smile._

"_If he was a vampire, the difficulty of making the relationship work will decrease immensely. Then my sister could find the happiness she deserves."_

"_So, you think that we should only be with someone of our own species?" I use the fresh butter to add taste to the dull bread._

"_I think that a person should be able to choose whoever they want to be with. But for us, we cannot just choose some man or woman on the streets and fall in love with them. People like us have to be careful." Elijah leans against the wooden counter. I put my hands on the edge of the island._

"_You wouldn't approve if I fell in love with a human?"_

"_Truthfully, no. But you are my oldest friend so I wouldn't approve of you seeing anyone I do not think is up to your standard."  
_

"_My standard is not very high, Elijah." I start to arrange the bread on a plate and place the butter in the middle. Elijah takes it to the dining room with him. I bring a nice wine with me to the table._

"_Do not do that. You are an amazing girl, Emerson. Eventually I hope you will find a companion that realizes it. I hope he will cherish everything about you." Elijah takes my hand. He take a piece of bread from the plate and eats it quickly._

"_Thanks, Elijah."_

"_I would never want to see you hurt, Emerson. You are my best friend and I want you to find someone worthy of you… eventually." Elijah takes another piece of bread._

"_I love you." The three words escape my mouth before I can stop them._

"_I love you too, Emerson." He looks at me and I can tell that he misunderstood what I had meant. _

_The meaning of the three words coming from his mouth is completely different than the ones that came from mine. I participate in the conversation with a dismissed interest. Elijah does not sense any change though. I want it like that though. I know he deserves a woman who he truly loves. I could never end up with him if it was because he felt guilty. I would not be able to live with myself. Elijah takes the clothing filled sack and leaves later into the night. I watch him walk down the dirt road and turn onto the path leading to his house._

"_I love you Elijah Mikaelson." I say under my breath as I close the door. It is the last time I'm planning on uttering those words, ever._

**~2010~**

I lay my friends on the couch, side by side, supporting each other. They should be waking up soon. Vervain only works to this degree for a couple hours. I start to tend to Matt's wounds as Elijah and Niklaus explore the house. I told them that no room is off limits. As I examine the deep cuts on Matt's stomach, I know he could be healed in a minute if I fed him my blood. He wouldn't approve of me doing it without his permission though. So I decide to wait and turn my attention to my other friends. Any visible wounds or abrasion they received at the school has now self-healed. Elijah and Niklaus join me in the kitchen. I get myself a cup of water when I realize that we haven't been in the same room together since the fourteen hundreds. And I was not planning on having this reunion for a while.

"How is Matt doing?" Elijah asks me as I take a long drink of water. The cold liquid feels good going down my throat but I know that I'd prefer to be drinking something a little redder.

"He's… injured." I pause and look over at Matt who is still unconscious on the couch.

"You didn't feed him your blood yet?" Niklaus looks surprised.

"No. If you haven't noticed, people in this town tend to die with vampire blood in their system." I put my glass down on the counter. "He would never forgive me if I healed him then he got turned."

"There is a very slight chance of that happening." Elijah notes.

"I know. But because there is a chance, I'm not feeding him until he tells me to." I look between the two brothers.

"How bad is it?" Elijah meets my eyes.

"A couple of bruises and deep cuts. He will heal fine on his own." I manage a smile.

"But the process would be sped up if he drank from you." Niklaus sits at one of the chairs at the counter.

"I don't think he cares about the speed of his recovery if it means he'll stay human." I shake my head.

"You want him to stay human, don't you?" Niklaus smirks.

"Of course I do. He is the only human left in their little group. One by one he has watched his friends die and come back to life. Yes, his life might be easier if he was a vampire, but it sure as hell wont be fun for him." I stand from my stool and walk into the living room. I sit on the coffee table in front of Stefan. I pull back my hand and hit him hard across the face. His eyes fling open and he looks around surprised. I tell him where he is and that he is fine.

"Do you hit me?" He smiles as he sits up.

"It was either that or ice water." I shrug.

"What about them?" Stefan gestures to Caroline and Tyler as he stands up. I slap Caroline and then Tyler a second after. They both wake up immediately. When they asked what happened, I tell them. All their eyes dart to Elijah in the kitchen

"Is Matt okay?" Caroline asks me when she sees him at the end of the couch.

"He's a little scraped up but he'll be fine." I tell them.

"You haven't fed him your blood." Stefan states.

"No. If he wants me to, he can ask me for it when he wakes up." I purse my lips.

"We should wake him up." Tyler stands next to me. I look at him.

"I think it's best if we wait. His body is in recovery right now. The healing process works faster when his body is idle." I explain.

"What do you suggest we do in the meantime?" Tyler asks me.

"Go home. I can handle Matt by myself. I'll call you when he wakes up." I sit down next to Matt. Caroline sighs.

"The second he wakes up?" Caroline clarifies.

"The very moment his eyes open." I promise. I hug each of them goodbye and show them out of the house making sure they don't have to make conversation with Elijah or Niklaus. I lock the door behind them subconsciously. I go back to the living room where Elijah and Niklaus are standing. I sit on the couch and lean back.

"I should get going. I have a guest to tend to." Niklaus moves across the living room and to the living room.

"What kind of guest?" Elijah questions his brother. Niklaus chuckles.

"That's for me to know and for you to never find out, brother." Niklaus gives me the normal goodbye, a kiss on the cheek. I wait until I hear him get into his car and drive out of the driveway to turn to Elijah.

"You must have questions about what you overheard at the school."

"You were a ripper." Elijah says after a short pause.

"I was _the _ripper, Elijah. Nine hundred people died in less than two years because of me. In a lot of small villages I was the monster that people went to bed at night fearing. They would have nightmares about me coming for them… and sometimes I did." I rest my head on my hands.

"The past is meant to stay there, Emerson. We have all done things we regret now. We just have to learn to move on from it. Learn to forgive ourselves." Elijah sits next to me.

"Everything is so fresh in my head now. I did learn how to forget and forgive but all the regret came back the second I saw Ossie." My eyes start to tear up as images pop into my mind. "I can picture the people I hurt, the kids I left orphaned and alone."

"Look at me, Emerson. I have had a lot of regrets in my life that I have had to deal with. But the one thing I regret the most is not seeing what you really meant to me when it mattered." Elijah pauses.

"What do you mean?" I wipe a tear from my cheek and look at Elijah.

"I did not realize how much I really cared for you, and for that I am truly sorry." Elijah kisses my cheek lightly and stands up. "I should go find out what my brother is up to."

"You don't have to go." I stand up too.

"I am going to be here for a while, Emerson. I think I should contribute to this town by keeping my brother from doing something we all will regret." Elijah buttons his jacket and walks to the front door. I start to follow him. "I can let myself out. You should try to get some sleep tonight."

Elijah walks out the front door and closes it softly behind him. I go back to the couch and sit down. I put my elbows on my knees and cup my face in my hands. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly as I think about Elijahs words that are still fresh in my head. Just thinking about it for a minute gets me to the point of overanalyzing. I go the kitchen and put make myself a cup of coffee. When I hear the sound of the front door opening I jump out of my seat and try to think of who might the visitor be. I tiptoe through the living room towards the foyer. I know neither Elijah nor Klaus would be back so soon. I do find myself crossing my fingers that they truly did rid of Ossie's body correctly, though. The visitor starts to whistle when I get to the wall that separates the living room from the foyer. I take a breath before walking out from behind the wall. I let out the breath I've been holding when I see who is standing by the front door. When he holds out his arms I run into them without hesitation. He usually isn't the one for hugs so I take his offer happily. He lifts me off the floor easily and I keep my arms wrapped around his neck. He lowers me to the floor slowly until my toes hit the tile. I take a step back and punch him hard on the shoulder.

"What the hell was that for?" Kol half smiles as he rubs his arm.

"For telling Niklaus everything I told you in confidence back in the French Quarter." I cross my arms over my chest.

"So you've already talked to him? Good." Kol drops his hand and moves past me into the living room. He turns to me when he sees Matt on the couch. "Why is he here?"

"He lives with me." I explain.

"Him? He's the best you could do for a roommate?" Kol gestures to Matt.

"He's a good guy." I defend my friend.

"He's human. I'm surprised you haven't…" Kol runs his finger across him neck.

"Yes, he's human. But Matt is also my friend."

"He looks like he just tried to wrestle a bear." Kol steps towards Matt.

"More like a vampire." When Kol gives me a curious look I continue. "Not me. An old friend showed up and took him hostage. He'll be fine though."

"Good. I was so worried." Kol says sarcastically. I walk past him into the kitchen. I hold up the coffee and he nods.

"How did you even know where I…? Rebekah." I answer my own question as I poor a cup of coffee for him.

"She's quite quick to share information." Kol takes the coffee from my hands and thanks me.

"Apparently. Elijah came back too when he heard." I shrug.

"My brother is here?"

"Yes. Both of them and your sister." I tell him.

"And you." Kol pauses and smiles. "Looks like its time for a long overdue family reunion."

"This should be fun." I return his smile.

"Do you mind if I stay here?" Kol looks at me.

"I don't mind. Just promise me you won't kill Matt."

"I promise. Where should I unpack?"

"Follow me." I lead him upstairs and to the closest bedroom to mine. It's also the farthest from Matt's at the end of the hallway.

"How did you afford this extravagant house anyways?"

"I've been alive for over a thousand years. I've learned to make a living on investing." I sit on his bed as he throws his bags onto the floor and lies down next to me.

"Do you still fancy both of my older brothers?" Kol smirks. He puts his hands behind his head. I turn to him.

"I don't know. I still have to figure that out." I tell him the truth. He sits up and picks me off the bed and pushes me towards the door.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take a shower." Kol ushers me out the door. I turn around to face him

"You know this is my house right?" I ask him.

"We're family. What's yours is mine." Kol smirks

"Technically we're not family." I point out. He leans forward until our faces is inches apart.

"But you want to be." He whispers. I sigh and take a step back from his dark brown eyes.

"You suck."

"Only when I'm hungry." Kol winks. He starts to close the door but I slip my foot in to stop it.

"Wait. Where's Finn? I've been meaning to ask Niklaus or Rebekah but I haven't gotten around to it." I've realized that I'm finally reunited with my second family and only one person is missing.

"I don't think I should be the one to tell you." Kol leans against the door.

"Who should then?"

"Niklaus or Elijah. Maybe they can convince you that…" Kol pauses. "Just talk to one or both of them."

"It must be bad if you wont tell me yourself."

"Look, you were probably the closest with him out of all of us other than Elijah. I don't think I'd deliver the news in the best way."

"He's dead isn't he?" I purse my lips.

"Talk to my brothers." Kol closes the door.

I go to my room and get ready for bed. I change and I grab some blankets from my room and go back downstairs. I place two blankets over Matt and use the extra one for myself. The television offers the best company so late at night. Although I cannot tear my mind from thinking about Finn, I fall asleep. I know I need sleep. The feeling that tomorrow is going to be a long day is overwhelming enough.

-**There you go. Elijah and Kol are back officially. Looks like it really is time for a family reunion. Since in TVD the two Mikaelsons don't really return for a while, I'm going to have it that only Emerson, Niklaus, and Rebekah know of their return. The next chapter will cover The Five. Please review. I'm requesting at least ****two**** like always. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	10. The Five

**The Five**

**~1113~**

"_You should not be going into town unaccompanied, Emerson." Finn looks at me._

"_Finn, I am perfectly able to protect myself." I take a bite of the steak the cook has prepared._

"_I don't doubt that. But we should not be using our abilities right now since there are hunters all throughout town. I'd just feel better about letting you leaving the house if one of my brothers or I went with you." Finn takes my hand. I squeeze his lightly._

"_I am over a hundred years old, Finn…" I smirk. " If it will make you feel better, then fine. But that also means that neither you nor your brothers can complain about the length of time I am out of the house."_

"_If my brothers have a problem with it, then I will go with you." Finn nods. I sigh._

"_Every time I step out of the house, you will accompany me? No matter what time of the day?"_

"_Yes. Men tend not to harm women who are escorted by someone. If it means keeping you safe, I will make sure to be by your side every time you leave the house. Same goes for Rebekah." Finn says, assured._

"_You are too good of a man, Finn Mikaelson. Someday a girl is going realize that and win your heart." I smile and pat his hand._

"_That does not look like it will be happening anytime soon." Finn looks down at the untouched plate of food._

"_What about that girl, Sage? I can tell you fancy her."_

"_Sage is too good for me, Emerson. She deserves better than to be cursed to living forever."_

"_Finn, I know that you hate being one of us. I know you hate the bloodshed your brothers have unleashed. And if having Sage by your side even little bit happier, you should make sure you spend every minute with her." I rest my hand on his. He meets my eyes._

"_She wants me to turn her."_

"_Do you love her?" I ask him._

"_That doesn't matter. I don't want this for her."_

"_Do you love her?" I repeat the question._

"_Yes."_

"_And she loves you?"_

"_Yes."  
_

"_Then what are you waiting for? She is willing to become a monster for you. And I know that if you do not do this yourself, she will just go to someone who will." I tell him._

"_I hate turning people. I've only done it a few times before."_

"_Then have this be your last. Prepare a nice dinner and send for her. It will be a night to remember forever… other than your wedding night of course." I wink at Finn._

"_Thank you, Emerson." He stands up._

"_Are you not going to finish your food?"_

"_I've lost my appetite." Finn smiles widely. I can see how happy he is._

"_Listen to me, Finn. I know none of your brothers will ever admit this to you but you deserve the best in life. I hope you find it with Sage."_

"_I think I will." Finn kisses me on the cheek before leaving. Growing up with Finn, I have learned that he is the most moral out of all of us other than Elijah. He never deserved to be saddled with the vampire burden. I hope that falling in love can bring him all the happiness in the world because he deserves so much more._

**~2010~**

When I open my eyes and look to Matt I realize he still has not woken up. I decide I will wake him after I get ready. The cold water from the shower wakes me up. I throw on a simple outfit and peek into Kol's room. Thankfully he is still sound asleep. I would not want Matt waking up to an Original standing in the living room. I hurry downstairs and prepare breakfast; eggs, toast, hash browns, and sausage. I was always the best cook out of the Mikaelsons. I make up a plate for Matt and place it next to mine on the coffee table in front of him. I start the attempt of waking Matt by shaking him. When that doesn't work I pinch him. I make sure to hold back when I slap him across the face but it still doesn't work. I take two pans from my kitchen and bang them against each other a couple times. Nothing.

"What are you doing?" Kol asks sleepily as he walks into the living room. I turn to see him only wearing boxers.

"I'm pretty sure I didn't say make yourself at home." I gesture to him. He smirks.

"Come on, I know you love it." Kol leans against the wall.

"You're repulsive. Now put on a shirt and some pants, please." I cross my arms over my chest.

"What's wrong, Emmy? Not up for a distraction? Because I sure need one." Kol takes a couple of step towards me inches apart. He smiles charmingly. I know he has always been the one to start flirting when he wants something.

"What do you want, Kol?" I glare at him.

"A fresh meal." Kol whispers, not backing away.

"I'm pretty sure there are deer in the forest. Help yourself." I smile.

"Bambi isn't part of my personal menu. I need human blood. And I know you can help me." Kol leans in. I punch him lightly in the gut.

"Listen to me because I am only going to say this once." I pause. "You are not to hurt anyone in this particular town. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." Kol winks. He disappears upstairs. I turn back to Matt and tilt my head to both sides, thinking.

"Bite him. Draw some blood. It should wake him up." Kol whispers into my ear. I jump from his sudden appearance. He still isn't dressed.

"I thought I told you to change."

"I just thought I might help you out with sleeping beauty." Kol gestures to Matt.

"Matt. His name is Matt." I glare at him.

"He doesn't deserve to be called by his name."

"And why is that?"

"Have you talked to my brothers yet?"

"No. I was going to after I woke Matt up."

"Then you're not in on the secret of why I hate your friend so much."

"Whatever. Go change." I point up the stairs. Kol disappears again with a smile. Matt stays perfectly still as I sit down next to him. I start to lean in towards his neck but stop. I reach for his arm but halt. I sigh and tap my fingers against my lips. Finally I take his arm with both hands and put his wrist to my lips. I bite down as lightly as possible making sure to break skin. The second I feel blood in my mouth Matt wakes up. I pull out my fangs and sit back. Matt looks at me with wide eyes then at his wrist.

"What the hell?" He looks mad.

"I tried to wake you up every humanly way possible." I explain.

"Did you feed me your blood?" Matt asks me.

"No. I didn't want to do it without getting permission first." I shake my head. He seems to relax at my words.

"What happened to me? The last thing I remember is getting ready to jump in the shower." Matt rubs his neck. I sigh and tell him everything that had occurred the day before, making sure to leave out the part about Kol.

"I'm really sorry you got pulled into this, Matt." I lean back.

"It's fine. I've been through worse." Matt shrugs. I take a deep breath.

"You should go to Tyler's house for a couple of days."

"Why?"

"Because there are a few people in town who apparently don't like you very much."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Just trust me, please. It's for the best." I purse my lips.

"Fine. But only for a couple of days, right?"

"Of course." I smile. He starts to get up but I sit him back down.

"Rest and eat up. I'll pack for you." I hurry upstairs and throw all of Matt's belongings into the one luggage bag he brought with him. I bring it downstairs and leave the bag by the door. When I get into the living room, Matt isn't there. I start to silently freak out when I see him in the kitchen. He smiles and places his plate in the sink.

"You scared me for a…" I start. Kol suddenly appears behind Matt. Matt is off the floor before I can get to them. Kol holds out a hand, stopping me. He keeps his eyes on Matt.

"Don't worry. I wont hurt him. I just want to see what it's like for me to hold his life in my hands." Kol sighs.

"And how does it feel?" I prepare to stop him if need be. Kol meets my eyes.

"Pretty great." He waits a minute before placing Matt back on the ground firmly. I take Matt's shoulders and turn him towards me. I make sure he's looking into my eyes before I start talking.

"You will forget that you saw Kol and what he just did. You will go Tyler's until I say its okay for you to come back. Do you understand me?" I compel him. He nods at me before I let go. I don't even look at Kol until Matt has left.

"What the hell, Kol?" I pause. "You come here and I let you stay in my house then you try to kill one of my good friends."

"If you haven't forgotten, I am one of your oldest friends. I should mean more to you than some mere human." Kol tells me angrily.

"You mean more to me than any of the people in this town, Kol. But that does not mean I am okay with you killing any of them." I lean against the counter.

"I can't promise that. I'm a killer." Kol shakes his head. "I hurt people. That's who I am."

"No, Kol. You are so much better than that. I know you can stop yourself if you really want to." I look at him.

"Maybe I can. But I'm sure as hell I'm not going to start here." Kol smiles.

"Why do hate Matt so much?" I take a step towards him.

"It's not just him, trust me. The hate is spread around this town pretty evenly." Kol crosses his arms over his chest.

"Why? That's all I want to know."

"Come on." Kol takes my hand. "You really need to talk to my brothers."

"Why can't you just tell me?" I stop walking. "And don't give me any of that 'I wont do it right' bullshit."

"I don't want you to hate me for being the one tells you, Emerson." Kol turns towards me. He closes the gap between us. "And I thought that if Elijah or Klaus was the one to tell you, you might be a little more understanding."

"I could never hate you, Kol. You're my brother. I don't care that we don't share the same genetics. You will always be my brother. No matter what happens." I hug him. He hugs me back lightly. I decide not to push him to tell me the news. I follow him to his car and let him drive me to his brother's house. I walk alongside Kol up the steps and to the front door. I pause when Kol enters the house without knocking but follow him anyways. We find Klaus and Elijah in the living room at the back of the house.

"Tell her what happened to Finn." Kol sits at the round table in the middle of the room. He pours himself a glass of alcohol.

"So good to you again too, brother." Niklaus smiles at Kol. Elijah sits up in his seat next to Kol and looks at me.

"No one has told you yet?" Elijah looks to his brothers. Kol shakes his head but I still answer.

"No. But I would appreciate it deeply if one of you did now." I look at the Mikaelson brothers.

"A couple of months ago Esther returned and she linked all of us together." Elijah gestures to his brothers. "With the help of Finn, she was going to kill us all. Your friends decided to take it upon themselves to help rid the earth of us. They killed Finn thinking we were still linked when it had been broken moments before."

"What? He can't be dead. He can't." I bite my lip to hold back the tears forming in my eyes. "He can't be dead."

"Emerson…" Klaus starts towards me. I hold up a hand.

"Finn can't be dead. He was the best… the most human out of all of us. He was supposed to live with Sage and be happy."

"We know, Emerson." Elijah stands up.

"He was in a coffin for most of his life and he wakes up to be killed?" I drop to my knees. "How can that happen to the one who deserved to live the most?"

"We miss him too." Niklaus stays a few feet away from me. Elijah kneels next to me and pulls me into his arms.

"If that happened to him, what does that say for the rest of us? We have done so much worse than him." I stutter. Elijah wraps his arms around me as I cry.

"It'll be okay, Emerson. We wont let anyone hurt you." Elijah promises.

"No. It wont be okay. I thought I could make a life here but those people want us dead." I shake my head.

"They want us dead, not you." Klaus assures me.

"Yes. They want you dead because you are all original vampires. And soon enough they will all know that I am too." I wipe the tears running down my cheeks.

"They don't have to figure that out." Kol stays seated at the table.

"I already told Matt and Stefan Salvatore. They'll spill the secret when the time comes." I lean against Elijah for support.

"We will protect you like we protect each other." Niklaus tells me.

"Where did you bury him?" I meet Niklaus' eyes.

"In the family cemetery." Niklaus whispers. I pull away from Elijah and stand up. I wipe all the tears that have managed to escape and look at Kol.

"I need you to take me somewhere." I clear my throat.

"Let's go." Kol takes my hand and walks with me towards the front door. When he opens it, Stefan Salvatore is standing on the porch. He looks at me skeptically and opens his mouth to talk. I push past him quickly.

"She's not in the mood to talk, chap." Kol explains and joins me in the car.

I tell Kol where to go and he pulls out of the driveway without any questions. We stop at the cemetery after a quick stop at the store. Kol trails behind me as I walk to the right grave. I run my finger lightly over the large stone and kneel in front of it. I read the words engraved on the rock to myself.

_Finn Mikaelson_  
_Loving Brother And Friend_  
_May He Rest In Peace_  
_991-2010_

I scoff at the words. They seem so worthless now. I run my hand over the base of the gravestone and bite my cheek lightly to keep back the tears. I know he would not want me to be crying right now. I lean the flowers I had bought against the grave.

"I am truly sorry, Finn." I whisper before standing up. Kol puts his arm around my shoulder and leads me back to the car. I slip in quietly and watch the street signs as Kol drives home. He keeps a hand on mine as he drives. I know he's worried but he wont say anything. He's not that kind of vampire.

When we get home I go straight to my room. I take a quick shower and keep my curly hair down. I rummage through my box of cherished items from the past until I find a hand painted picture from the 11th century. I pull out the large piece of paper and lay it out on my bed. Finn thought it would be a good idea to have a family portrait done every hundred years. Niklaus thought it was useless but showed up anyways along with Kol. As I run my hands over their faces I realize how different things were back then. Rebekah was in love with a hunter. Niklaus was still a mere vampire. Finn had just turned Sage and I was the only one who welcomed her with open arms. We were a different family back then, but at least we were a family. Now, I don't know what we are. But I want us to be a family again. I just don't know how long that will take.

I slide the portrait under my bed and put away the box. I head downstairs and leave a note for Kol on the kitchen counter. I know he hates being waken up before he desires. The car doesn't make too much noise when I turn on the engine. I pull out of the driveway and head towards Klaus' house. I copy Kol's ways and walk into the house without permission. When I see that Stefan is still at the house I almost turn around and leave but swallow the urge. Klaus looks up from the dinner they are eating and smiles at me.

"Have a seat, love. We were just about to tell your good friend Stefan about the brotherhood of the five." Niklaus gestures to a seat next to him. I look at him then Rebekah curiously.

"The brotherhood doesn't exist anymore. Why would you be telling him about something that was extinguished long ago?" I sit down.

"That's where the fun part comes in. I thought the exact same thing until I came across the hunter that had this on him." Klaus holds out a stake to me. I take it and examine it carefully. When I see the symbol by the handle I almost drop the stake.

"Where is the hunter?"

"Being held in a safe place." Niklaus assures me.

"Are you sure he is one of the five? He could have just found the stake." I look at Niklaus then his sister. "Did you see the tattoo?"

"The tattoo has become invisible to all over the ages… except a small handful of people. But I am sure of that the man in the other room is in fact the hunter we've been looking for all these years." Niklaus pauses and looks at his unmoving sister. "Rebekah, love, eat your veggies."

"I'm not eating until you apologize." Rebekah sits back in her chair.

"For which indiscretion? There have been so many."

"You broke my neck." At Rebekah's words I look at Klaus.

"You threw away Elena's blood so I can't make any more hybrids." Like every other time the two have fought, I just sit back and wait patiently.

"Because you took me for granted."

"That's what big brothers do, sweetheart." Klaus taps the table.

"Let me just name the million other people I'd rather be having dinner with right now." Stefan mutters.

"All right. Fine. I'm sorry. I often forget how delicate you are." Klaus leans back in his chair. I'm surprised that he actually apologized. "Forgive me?"

"I'll take it under consideration." Rebekah keeps a straight face.

"Okay, good. Now why doesn't one of you tell me about Rebekah's hunter?" Stefan asks. I bite my lips trying to think where to start.

"Alexander. Nice man forgoing the obvious issues. He was looking for creatures of the night which is why we felt quite safe around him wearing our daylight rings." I smile at the memory. I tell Stefan about the dinner we held for Alexander where we collected a bit of information about the brotherhood and the weapon that no vampire could survive.

"So, that is what this is about? A weapon?" Stefan asks us.

"Not just any weapon." Rebekah scoffs. Niklaus holds out his hand.

"Rebekah, love, don't get ahead of the story." Her brother warns.

"How is a weapon the answer to all of my prayers?" Stefan questions. I look between Rebekah and Klaus, not sure if I should continue with the important information.

"Okay. Why don't we just skip with the theatrics and get right to the point?" Stefan leans back.

"Not quite yet. Because in order to find this weapon we need to solve the puzzle which seems to have disappeared." Niklaus sighs.

"What puzzle?" Stefan pauses. "The tattoo. What is it?"

"A map leading us to its treasure." Niklaus smirks. I can tell he's enjoying himself.

"Fat load of good a tattoo is going to do if we can't see it." Rebekah points out.

"We cant but someone else can." Niklaus turns to the compelled girl standing in the corner. "Why don't you tell the hybrid to bring him in, love?"

"You see the hunter was so eager to get to the bottom of his mystery tattoos that he mentioned that there was only one other person that can see them." Niklaus turns back to us. I look over to the corner of the room where Jeremy Gilbert has just been escorted in. Stefan jumps out of his seat and runs towards his girlfriend's brother but Niklaus appears in between them.

"I wouldn't. Lucky for us young Jeremy here is a bit of an artist." Klaus puts a hand on Jeremy's shoulder.

"I'm not helping you with anything." Jeremy says. I bite my lip as Klaus' hybrid takes off the ring on Jeremy's finger and tosses it to Niklaus.

"Oh, I'm afraid you are." Niklaus smiles. The hybrid leads Jeremy out of the room. Stefan sits back down after a minute.

"So tell me more about this tattoo." Stefan says as Niklaus sits.

Klaus holds out a hand gesturing to me. "Care to continue, love?"

"Alexander was unwilling to tell us anything. Rebekah however was able to… investigate and get more information out of him. Not without a price of course." I avoid Rebekah's stare. "He threw a slumber party that night. He and his brothers put us all down in our sleep. Elijah, Kol, Finn, me, even Klaus."

"How was I supposed to know?" Rebekah asks her brother.

"Cheers to my sisters uncanny ability to chose men." Niklaus holds up his glass. I don't even think about cheering.

"I thought the daggers didn't work on you because of your werewolf side?" Stefan turns to Niklaus.

"They don't." Niklaus smirks. He tells the happenings of the rest of the night. "Go ahead, Rebekah. Tell him. Tell him what the hunter told you that the tattoo leads to; what this great weapon that can bring about the end of the vampire species."

Rebekah pauses before answering. I can tell she's fighting on how to say it. "A cure. He said there was a cure."

Niklaus stands up and walks out of the room. When Stefan starts to follow, Rebekah and I do also. I know Stefan is mad and confused. Mostly mad though.

"There is no cure for vampirism." Stefan states as he follows Klaus. I look at Rebekah.

"He's telling the truth Stefan." I assure him.

"Then why haven't you searched for it, found it?" Stefan's anger is noticeable in his voice.

"Because when the hunters drew their final breaths that night, the marks disappeared from their bodies. The map was gone. The brotherhood of the five extinct." Niklaus talks as he pours himself a glass. I wait by Rebekah as he continues. "For nine hundred years, there was not a whisper of another hunter until our friend in there showed up in town."

"Well, now we have the map. What do we do next?" Rebekah leans against the doorframe.

"We don't do anything. You cant be trusted, little sister. You'll be blabbing this secret to the next boy who calls you pretty. I mean it's pathetic, really, isn't it, how she continues to hand her heart to any man who shows her a hint of affection. You'd think she would learn by now." Niklaus laughs. I try to secretly assure Rebekah he's wrong but she isn't paying attention to me. "From the endless cycle of disappointment and deception"

"But I haven't. Instead I stay with you and let you leech every moment of happiness from my life. You know at least I fed better than Finn. You know, Niklaus left him daggered because he was tired of his judgement." Rebekah tells Stefan.

"No. Finn was a dullard. He is more interesting lying in a box." Niklaus points at his sister.

Rebekah stares at her brother for a minute. "You want the cure for Elena, don't you? So you can go back to mass-producing your hybrids. That's why you brought Stefan in, because you knew he'd help you even though he hates your guts. You know what? You can shove your cure."

"Well I hope you got what you wanted out of her before you chased her off." Stefan sighs after Rebekah leaves the room. I roll my eyes, knowing this was all part of Niklaus' plan.

"Please, he knows that Rebekah would have never told him what he needs to know." I laugh and look at Stefan. "But now she'll tell you."

"What do you want me to find out?" Stefan asks Niklaus.

"The map is useless without the tool to decipher it." Niklaus hints.

"The sword." Stefan nods.

"She knows where it is. And you're going to get her to tell you." I can see the devious smile forming on Niklaus' lips. "You have a chance to save Elena from the very thing that is going to destroy her. You can call it a deal with the devil if you like. But you know you won't walk away from it."

I wait until Stefan leaves to turn to Niklaus. "A deal with the devil. Really?"

"Ah, love, I am so glad you stayed for dinner. Would you like to stay for dessert?" Niklaus winks and holds out a hand. I ignore it and take the glass of bourbon from his hand. I drink it quickly before handing it back.

"I'm good. But thanks for the offer." I smile sarcastically. Niklaus smirks.

"You should really stay for a while. We could have some fun."

"Again, I'm going to have to refuse. I'm kind of tired and want to get home. Kol must be wondering where I disappeared to anyways." I shrug and start towards the door.

"Kol is staying with you?"

"Yes. He much rather prefer to stay with me than you."

"What about your little human roommate?"

"He's staying elsewhere for the time being." I tell Niklaus.

"Trouble in paradise?"

"I wouldn't call any of this paradise." My smile turns into a straight line on my lips.

-**There it is, the big reunion. I hope you enjoyed reading. I did go back and change all the mistakes in the past chapters and changed Emerson's alias to Breanna or Bre. I like it a lot more than Bradley. Anyways, please review. I'm requesting at least ****two**** like always. Thanks for reading!**


	11. The Killer

**The Killer**

**~1013~**

_Kol and Klaus run ahead of me through the forest. I run as fast as my legs can carry me but fall behind as my legs are not nearly as long as theirs. It also doesn't help that my dress keeps getting in my way. I almost trip several times before landing on my hands and knees. I don't cry when I see the blood spreading across my hand, I just study it. The red liquid has always hypnotized me. How can something so rich in color come from inside of me?_

_I sit down and wipe the excess blood of with the bottom of my dress. I know my mother will be mad but I do not really care. I've never been too fond of dresses anyways. Niklaus is the first one to come back for me. He kneels by my side and grabs my hand. He looks at the cut for a moment before letting out a small chuckle. He helps me off the floor as Kol joins us._

"_It's barely a scratch. I don't know why you always bleed so much." Niklaus lets go of my hand. Kol takes his spot and copies his brother's actions. His boyish smile appears on his face._

"_I knew you could never keep up with us." Kol teases. I push him as hard as I can but he doesn't budge.  
_

"_It's not fair. You don't have to wear this darn dress." I lift up the hem of my dress off the dirt floor and sigh._

"_Even if we did, you still could not keep up." Kol laughs._

"_I would rather not see about that." Klaus takes my hand and wraps a piece of fabric around it. I notice he had torn it from his shirt. His dad will not be happy._

"_Thank you, Niklaus." I smile as he finishes. He shrugs._

"_Your welcome. We should get back. Our parents are most likely getting worried." Niklaus lets go of my hand. I look at the bandaging before following the two brothers through the trees._

"_Please, mother and father will not care once they see who we are with." Kol scoffs and gestures over his shoulder at me. I pick up my dress to step over a fallen tree.  
_

"_What ever do you mean, Kol?" I take his hand for stability._

"_If you haven't noticed, they lighten our punishments whenever you accompany us." Kol points out. "They adore you, little Emmy."_

"_I am not little. I am nearly ten years old." I pout and cross my arms over my chest. Kol shares a look with his brother before they both start laughing._

"_We are both older than you by many years. You are little to us." Niklaus keeps walking. I don't budge._

"_I am not moving until you say I am not little." The two brothers stop and look at me skeptically. I smile thinking my plan is going to work. Kol walks towards me and I ready myself for the acknowledgment I want. When he picks me up by my legs, the rest of my body bends over his shoulder. I start to pound on his back but I can tell it does not affect him._

"_Put me down! Put me down right now, Kol Mikaelson! Put me down or I'll tell your mother!" I keep hitting his back._

"_We'll just tell her we were just playing a simple game." Niklaus walks behind his brother. I meet his eyes._

"_And what if I tell her otherwise and she believes me. Your punishments will be far worse than you fearing in the first place." I pause and put on a face of concentration. "What did she make you do the last time you stayed out too long? Oh yes, I recall she made you clean the meat house. The blood stained your hands for a week."_

"_What do you want?" Kol stops in his tracks._

"_Just tell me that I'm not little and I will go along with whatever marvelous excuse the two of you come up with." I offer with a smirk. Kol drops me to the floor. I land on butt with a thud.  
_

"_Ouch…" I stand up and wipe the dirt of my backside. I wait to hear the Niklaus and Kol utter the words I have been wanting to hear. "Go on…"_

"_You're not little." Niklaus admits first._

"_You're not little." Kol copies. A smile appears on my lips._

"_That was not too difficult now, was it?"_

"_Torture." Niklaus groans._

"_Like getting stabbed." Kol jokes. My smile fades._

"_Let's just get home before both of our parents decide to really punish us." I turn on my heels and continue towards home. Niklaus and Kol follow shortly, letting me take the lead for once. We get back to the village rather quickly. I go with Niklaus and Kol to their parents and turn on my little girl charm. They let the boys off with a warning and let them go with me out of the small house. I mess with the bandage on my hand as we walk around the village._

"_What happened to you?" Elijah asks as we walk past him. I smile and look down at my hand and dirtied clothes._

"_I tripped in the woods." I explain. "I landed right on my hand."_

"_Did you have my mother look at that?" Elijah takes my hand and removes the now bloodied fabric. I feel the butterflies in my stomach as I watch him examine the cut._

"_She does not need to be looked at. It is not that deep of a cut." Niklaus takes my free hand in his. I pull it away quickly though. I don't know why he keeps doing that whenever Elijah comes around._

"_You might want to let her clean it, just in case it might get infected." Elijah lets go of my hand and my heartbeat returns to normal.  
_

"_Thank you, Elijah." I curtsey slightly. He nods._

"_The pleasure is all mine." He smiles and walks away. I let out a deep breath. I do not know what it is about his smile that just makes me want to be around him all hours of the day._

"_Come on, Emerson. Let's go." Kol bumps my shoulder and takes off in a run._

"_I think I am going to let your mother take a look at my cut. I will join you later." I look at Niklaus and Kol._

"_I'll go with you." Niklaus takes a step towards me. I smile and shake my head._

"_There is no need. I'll be fine on my own. Thank you though, Niklaus." I turn towards where I saw his mother last. Elijah might be right about my cut. Better safe than sorry he always says._

**~2010~**

I awake from my much-needed sleep when my phone buzzes on my bedside dresser. I sit up and rub my eyes, trying to wake up. The text from Niklaus surprises me but the news it carries even more so. I hop out of bed and throw on a large sweatshirt over my tank top and put on shorts. I let down my hair from the usual bun I sleep in and head out of my room. I tiptoe past Kol's room and run down the stairs to my car. I jump into the corvette and drive away from my house.

Kol stayed up for me the night before. Even though he would never admit it, I could tell he was slightly worried. I neglected to tell him of the news we shared with Stefan just in case he decided to take things into his own hands. Kol was never to fond of finding the cure. He never wanted or needed it. He still doesn't. I just don't want him causing bloodshed where it is not necessary.

I drive straight to Niklaus' house. The text message was not very descriptive of what kind of problem he had but it was clear that I needed to put this first on my to do list. I park my car in the driveway and step out. I recognize Stefan's car in front of mine. Niklaus must have called in back up. The front door is already open so I hurry inside. The smell of blood leads me to where the hunter was being kept. When I see Stefan kneeling over the headless hybrid, I sigh.

"What the hell happened here?" I gesture to the dead man.

"The hunter escaped." Stefan stands up. I pull out my phone and call Niklaus before Stefan can continue. I put it on speaker just in case Stefan would like to contribute. Klaus answers in his usual calm voice.

"Hello, love. Miss me already?"

"How the hell did Connor escape?" I ignore the comment.

"I blame mind numbing incompetence. Pointing fingers isn't going to help me, you guys are going to help me." Niklaus answers.

"Well, he could be anywhere now." Stefan speaks up.

"Think, Stefan. He took the hybrid's head which means he wants werewolf toxin." Niklaus says.

"Which means he plans to stay in Mystic Falls to kill vampires." I guess correctly.

"Which is a pity as I'm half the world away digging up a dead hunter. You'll have no access to my blood and therefore the antidote. Nevertheless, his tattoo is the only map to the cure so the task is quite simple; find him, catch him, and above all keep him alive. He's no good to us dead." Niklaus explains.

"Damon's been looking for him everywhere. If they cross paths…" Stefan looks at me.

"You need to keep Damon in check." Niklaus cuts in.

"It would be a lot easier if I could just tell him the truth." Stefan points out.

"You trust Damon with the cure? I imagine he prefers Elena the way she is."

"Nice try, Klaus. I trust Damon a hell of a lot more than I trust you." Stefan admits.

"Niklaus doesn't trust anyone." I shake my head.

"Exactly, love. That's why my sister is lying daggered in a box." Niklaus adds. I'm nauseated by the words. "The more who find out about the cure, the more who will go after it. Nations have gone to war over less. You mark my words, you tell one soul and I will throw the sword into the Mediterranean and end this quest right now. Am I understood?"

I don't bother answering. I just hang up and drop my phone into my pocket. I don't want the cure. I don't need it for myself or anyone I love. But Stefan does. Despite the fact that he killed Finn, I know I'll feel bad if I don't help him, especially if someone dies. I'm the only vampire in town willing to help that can survive werewolf toxin. Stefan is going to need me to catch this hunter.

"I know about Finn." I say after a minute of silence. "I know that you helped kill him."

Stefan meets my eyes and rubs the back of his neck. "I'm sorry. I know it doesn't help but I was just trying to do what was best for the people I love."

"I understand… and I forgive you." I purse my lips.

"Why? I killed someone who was like a brother to you."

"When you live for as long as I have and have watched friends and family die over and over again, you learn to forgive and forget. If you don't, the need for revenge will eat you from the inside out until you do something you truly regret. Then that feeling will turn into straight hatred for what you did." I shrug. "Don't get me wrong. I miss Finn. I didn't get to say goodbye or tell him that I love him. I just choose to go the easier route and forgive."

"A lot of people could learn from you." Stefan nods.

"I'm just waiting for the years of knowledge I have will be put to good use." I joke. Stefan smiles. I hear his phone ring in his pocket. He looks at his phone before looking up at me.

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

"Connor. He has hostages at the Mystic Grill and Jeremy Gilbert is one of them." Stefan informs me.

"We have to go before Elena does something rash." I walk out of the house with Stefan. I let him drive us to the Tyler's house where the others are waiting.

"Stefan." Elena stands up from the couch as we enter the living room. She hugs him lightly.

"Where the hell have you been? And why is she here?" Damon gestures to me.

"She's helping me come up with a plan." Stefan hugs his girlfriend back.

"We have a plan; I'm going to rip Connor's heart out and I'm going to feed it to him." Damon says confidently.

"That's not a plan. We need to be careful. Connor has Jeremy and who knows how many other hostages." Stefan steps away from Elena.

"Hence the open heart surgery." Damon smirks.

"Damon's right. Connor's strong but he wont be able to take all of us." Elena sides with him.

"I called in the hybrids to help too." Tyler stays standing behind the couch. I exchange a look with Stefan. I'll let him take the lead on this one.

"My mom put squad cars blocking the street. They're saying it's a faulty gas main. We're good to go." Caroline comes into the living room.

"Good. Great. No cops. No witnesses. No reason to wait around." Damon looks at his brother.

"Wait. Hold up. You're not all going." Stefan holds out his hands.

"He shot me in my own house. If we're killing him I want in." Tyler says. I bite my lip.

"He's got Jeremy. I'm going." Elena tells Stefan. I can tell that Stefan's racking his brain to find an excuse to keep them away from Connor.

"No one is going anywhere until I figure out what we're walking into." Stefan announces.

"Until you figure out what we're walking into?" Damon steps towards his brother. "Is that where you've been all morning buying bossy pants?"

"You sound like a six year old. Connor is known for setting traps, right? We'd all look really idiotic if we walked right into one. Someone should check it out and I vote it should be me seeing as how I'm the only one who can survive werewolf venom and anything else he throws at us." I speak up.

"Does he have werewolf venom?" Elena asks me.

"He had it before, right? He most likely kept leftovers." I shrug.

"Fine. Fine. You two want to take time to do recon. You get one hour. But we're going to need extra help so where the hell is the wicked witch of the west?" Damon asks everyone.

"She can't do magic." Caroline tells us.

"Really? Well call her and tell her Jeremy's life is in danger. Maybe that will bring her out of retirement." Damon walks out of the house. Elena decides to go with him to "keep an eye on him."

Stefan and I head out of the house a few minutes later. He drives into town and parks the closest he can to the Mystic Grill. The police have set up blockers up and down the street leading to the restaurant. I listen in on the phone call with Stefan and Niklaus. Stefan explains how the hunter has taken hostages and everyone is thinking of ways to kill him.

"You expect me to care about bloody hostages?" Niklaus scoffs.

"You should. Damon does… so does Caroline, Tyler, and Elena. If any of them get to Connor, then you just wasted a trip to Italy. I can buy us some time but Damon's getting antsy. So if you want Connor alive, you better get your hybrids on board with my plan." Stefan advises. I smile to myself. Niklaus hates following other peoples orders. Stefan hangs up and we walk around the grill to listen for who is inside. I make out Matt's voice but Stefan recognizes the girl's.

"I can only make out the voices." Stefan tells Elena and Damon over the phone.

"How many hostages?" I hear Damon ask.

"Three. But, Elena, it's Matt and April Young." Stefan meets my eyes. He told me that our task of keeping Connor alive could get trickier when Elena hears who the hostages are.

"What?" Elena sounds concerned.

"Those two idiots. They're like danger magnets." Damon sighs.

"We have to get them out of there." Elena begs.

"I just need a little more time."

"Well, the clock is ticking brother." Damon reminds him.

"You know I could do without the color commentary." Stefan hangs up the phone and we start towards Alaric Saltzman's apartment. Apparently they have been using it as a training facility and hide out spot.

"Did you find the tunnel map?" Stefan asks as we walk into the small apartment.

"Got it." Damon holds up his phone and turns away from Elena. "It was in his weapon drawer with seven stakes, some weird Macgyver crossbow, and the last remaining vervain in Mystic Falls. So, how about we get this party started?"

"Not yet. Klaus is sending one of his men. He'll take the front. We're taking the tunnels." Stefan gestures to Damon and I.

"Since when do we team up with Klaus and the lollipop guild?" Damon asks his brother.

"I already told you that Connor has werewolf venom. We need someone to draw his fire. Hybrids are immune to it so they're out best bet." Stefan explains.

"How are you sure he even has werewolf venom?" Damon's eyebrows inch upward. "Why is Klaus involved, Stefan?"

"Stop being paranoid, Damon." Stefan picks up a vervain needle and hands it to me secretly. I know what he wants me to do if the moment comes.

"Start telling the truth, Stefan." Damon pauses. "Why is Klaus involved? Did he compel you?"

"I am telling you the truth. This is the best way to get everyone out." Stefan steps towards his brother.

"Okay. What is with you two? We're wasting time." Elena addresses the brothers.

"You know what? She's right. Screw your plan. I'll kill Connor myself." Damon starts out the door. I wait until he steps past me to stick the needle in his back. I make sure all the vervain recedes from the tube and lower Damon to the floor.

"Breanna!" Elena calls out my alias name as I put Damon on the ground. I stand up and turn to Stefan.

"He's all yours." I curtsey. Stefan picks his brother off the floor and puts him on the couch.

"Why are you doing this?" Elena asks her boyfriend.

"Damon had the right idea with the tunnels but I'm not going to go in there if I can't count on him to do it my way." Stefan takes Damon's phone.

"If you can't count on him? You just vervained him." Elena gestures the unconscious man on the couch.

"You think he cares about April or Matt? He'll get Jeremy out for you but then go right after Connor no matter who gets hurt." Stefan throws Damon's phone back onto the couch.

"Then I'm going with you guys." Elena protests.

"You can't" I shake my head.

"You need my help." Elena persists.

"What if Connor attacks and you have to defend yourself? And what if you kill him?" Stefan asks his girlfriend. "The guilt will wreck you."

"You don't think I'm afraid of that? Of course I am. Stefan, I'm barely holding it together. If Jeremy gets hurt…" Elena's breaths start to become frantic.

"I'll get Jeremy out. I promise you. Elena, listen to me. This is the most important thing that I have ever asked you to do. I just need you to trust me, please." Stefan holds Elena's face in his hands. She nods slowly and I look away as they kiss. Before Elena opens her eyes, Stefan grabs my hand and pulls me out of the apartment.

"Nice job with Elena." I follow Stefan to the place where the tunnels start.

"We need to get them out of the grill safely." Stefan says as he leads me into the tunnels.

"We will." I assure him. I stay a step behind him as we trek through the stone walled passageway quietly. When I hear the tapping. We follow the noise until we get to a bricked up part of the tunnel. I break through it easily with my fist and climb up into the backroom of the Mystic Grill. Stefan grabs the Young girl from behind and lays his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming. April calms down when she sees that Stefan is the one who quieted her.

"Follow this map. Get out of here and take her to Caroline's so she can…" Stefan tells Matt.

"That guy's armed. If you go out there, he'll kill Jeremy." Matt starts to lead April to the tunnels.

"No one is killing anyone." I smile.

"Now go." Stefan says. Matt takes April and disappears into the tunnels. Stefan turns to me.

"I'm going to go out first. You follow but be careful." Stefan tells me. I nod and watch as he starts to inch out of the backroom. He's barely a foot out when I hear the gunshots. Stefan ducks behind the wooden railing before he can get hurt. I slip out of the back but I make sure to stay hidden behind a wall.

"Connor, you don't have to do this." Stefan calls out.

"Stefan…" I can hear the worry in Jeremy's voice. Stefan peeks around the railing that's hiding him. When he looks back at me I can tell something's wrong. I decide to take the risk and look for myself. Connor is too preoccupied by Stefan to notice me so I manage to get a glance of the contraption Jeremy is standing on. I know I could get Jeremy out uninjured but there is no way I could get Stefan as well. Connor would be gone by the time I got back in anyway.

"Connor, we can end this right now. Just put down the gun and come with me." Stefan instructs.

"No. Come out. I'll hand the gun over." Connor replies. I scoff at the thought.

"Think about this. No one has to die. I'll tell you everything you need to know." Stefan promises.

"I don't make deals with vampires!" Connor yells.

"Listen to me, if you die right now then your whole life, all that killing, it would all be for nothing. I can give you the truth. Just put down the gun and let Jeremy go." Stefan tries to bargain. I hear the restaurant's front door open.

"Please! Don't hurt him." Elena begs.

"You come any closer, he's dead." Connor announces. I hear the gun click.

"Elena, get out of here." Elena's brother pleads.

"He is the only family I have left. Just let him go." Elena tells Connor

"You hear that? Your girl is watching. I will shoot the boy right in front of her!" Connor pauses. "On the count of three. One… two… three!"

Stefan steps out from his hiding spot and I take my chance. I run and grab Jeremy, pulling him behind a table. The bomb goes off but the table provides shelter from the debris.

"Jeremy?" Elena yells. She must be worried about her brother.

"Are you okay?" I ask Jeremy. He nods.

"I'm fine. Where's my sister?" Jeremy starts to stand up. I pull him back down quickly.

"Hold up, let me make sure the hunter still isn't pointing a gun at you before you go walking aroung." I stand up slowly and look around the edge of the table. When I don't see Connor anywhere I let Jeremy get up. Elena comes out from behind some booths and pulls her brother into a hug.

"Oh my god. I thought you were hurt." Elena whispers into Jeremy's ear.

"With me here, no one was ever going to get hurt." I smile.

"How did this happen, Jer? Why did Connor come after you?" Elena asks the both of us. I keep my eyes on the floor.

"He said I was like him because I could see his tattoo." Jeremy explains.

"His what?" Elena steps towards her brother.

"His hunter's mark. It's invisible to everyone but me." Jeremy pauses. "Stefan and Damon didn't tell you about it?"

"I'd love to stick around for this little chat… but I have to go." I start to back away from the brother sister duo.

"Did you know about this?" Elena turns to me.

"Elena, this isn't a conversation you should be having with me, trust me." I cross my arms over my chest.

"Who else knows about this?" Elena continues.

"I'll leave that part to you." I gesture to Jeremy and leave before Elena can stop me. I go straight into the tunnels and start towards the entrance until I hear voices.

"…I'm taking him with me." Stefan grunts.

"That's the thing, you're not." Damon tells him. I contemplate intervening.

"I don't know what you're up to or what Klaus has over you but even if I have to go through you I'm going to kill him." Damon continues. I step around the corner.

"I can't let you do that, Damon." I put myself between Damon and the hunter.

"Did Klaus get to you too? Is this all because Klaus wants him alive?" Damon questions.

"This has nothing to do with Klaus, you're just going to have to trust me on that." Stefan says.

"Don't want to, don't have to, not gonna." Damon steps towards Stefan "You give him to me, brother."

"Take him." Stefan hands the hunter off to me. "Get him out of here."

"Have fun you two." I mutter before continuing towards the entrance. I keep a firm grip on the back on Connors shirt collar as we walk. We've been walking for only a minute when something hard hits the back of my head. The force causes me to drop to my hands and knees. As I push myself onto my feet I catch a glimpse of long brown hair disappearing around the corner.

"Elena!" I yell after her. I put my hand on the back of my head and pull it away. When I see the blood on my fingers a surge of anger runs through me. I take a deep breath and start after Elena.

"Elena, I swear to god, if you…" I start. I stop mid-sentence when I see Elena standing over Connor's body. I can see the blood and bite mark on his neck and know the blood running down Elena's face. I know Connor is dead without checking for a pulse. I pull Elena into a hug as she starts to whimper slightly.

"It'll be okay." I comfort her as she starts to cry. "It's going to be okay."

I don't know if it's the truth but it's the best I can do. I wait with Elena until Stefan and Damon show up. They lead her out of the tunnels. I can tell they have a lot to talk about so I decide to head home. I stop by the Mystic Grill to close up the tunnel entrance in the back room. I cut through the park and see Jeremy Gilbert sitting on a bench. I watch him examine his hand for a moment before approaching him.

"Your sister is going to be a while if that's who you're waiting up for." I sit down next to him.

"She always takes a while." Jeremy sighs. His eyes remain on his hand.

"Are you okay?" I ask him. He looks up at me.

"I hate the deception that's been going on lately. I didn't even know that my sister was in the dark about all this hunter stuff and I have to keep convincing myself that it's in April's best interest that we keep lying to her." Jeremy tells me. I take a deep breath.

"Living the kind of life we do requires a lot of dishonesty and deception... But over the years, I've realized it helps to have at least one person you can tell anything to." I meet his eyes. "You just need to find that person."

"Can I trust you?" Jeremy asks me. I don't hesitate to answer.

"Your secrets are safe with me." I pretend to lock my lips. He chuckles lightly.

"You know the hunter's mark?" Once I nod he continues holding out his hand. "I can see it… on my own hand."

I gulp down all the questions running through my head and try to think of something smart or cunning to say but all I can manage is "This just got a whole lot more complicated."

**-Connor is dead, Elena's hallucinations will start, Klaus will be returning from Italy, and Jeremy's journey as a hunter begins. The next chapter will cover We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes (4x6). Please review. I'm requesting ****two**** before posting next. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it.**


	12. We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes

**We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes**

**~1323~**

_As I walk through the town by myself I know I have nothing to fear. For I know that nothing can truly hurt me. The world is still mostly unaware of the existence of vampires but Kol has been on a quest to change that. Niklaus has been helping him in a way. They have been killing and turning people non-stop for the past two hundred years. I do pitch in at times but prefer to keep the vampire population to a minimum. The more who know we exist means the more that who want us dead. I don't know about Niklaus and Kol, but I don't want even more people hunting us. The brotherhood of the five was thankfully wiped out but there is no reason to say there won't be more like them. Niklaus and Kol don't seem to mind though. I put the bread I had gotten at the bakery and take out a knife. The blade runs easily through the bread._

"_Good morning, love." Niklaus saunters into the kitchen. I turn away from the bread I've been slicing._

"_It is not actually. I could barely sleep a wink last night. Do you wish to know why?" I smile at him innocently._

"_Of course. Enlighten me." Niklaus spans out his arms._

"_I could not sleep because of the moaning coming from your bedroom last night." I cross my arms over my chest._

"_We were just enjoying our night, love. No need to get angry." Niklaus smiles._

"_I get that you like to sleep with your victims before you kill them but next time can you choose someone a little less noisy." I lean against the counter._

"_I don't really stop to think about those things when I hunt, sorry." Niklaus shrugs._

"_Niklaus, you are one of the most…" I stop when the girl from the night before tip toes into the kitchen smiling. She runs over to Niklaus and swings her arms around his neck. Niklaus keeps a cunning smile on his lips. When I don't hear her heart beating, I know that he did the alternative of killing her. He turned her into a vampire._

"_You turned her?" I look between the two. The girl giggles._

"_I feel so great. I feel so strong." Her voice flutters through the kitchen. "I cannot wait until I move in. Aren't you excited, dear?"_

"_Of course, love." Niklaus keeps his eyes on me. "Looks like you'll be seeing a lot more of her now." _

"_Like hell I am." I walk towards the girl and easily reach into her chest. I pull out her heart and throw it on the counter in front of Klaus._

"_Such a waste." Niklaus looks at the girl's body on the floor. I scoff._

"_I wasn't about to let that… harlot think she could live with us." I tell Niklaus as he hands me a towel. I wipe the blood off my fingers and hand it back._

"_I know. I was hoping you would do that." Niklaus chuckles._

"_If you wanted her dead, why didn't you just kill her in the first place?"_

"_That would've been no fun." Niklaus wiggles his finger starting to back out of the room. "Plus, I like seeing your jealous side."_

"_Please, I wasn't jealous. I just really hated that girl." I explain. I walk out of the room and head straight to my bedroom. The feeling I got when I realized the girl had been turned could only be described as pure hatred. She was just some peasant off the streets and Niklaus had let her think that she could just be accepted into our lives. Even the fact that he even slept with this girl had frustrated me. I do not think that would be classified as jealousy._

**~2010~**

I walk Jeremy home after our short talk on the bench. He seems a little troubled to be making the trip by himself. He admits to being worried but assures me he would be fine. I run to Niklaus' house to save time and get into my car. When I get home I find that Kol is not there. I make a cup of coffee and situate myself in front of the television. Over three hours pass before the front door opens. Kol tiptoes into the living room and sits down next to me. The small smudge of blood on the corner of his mouth is barely visible. I reach up and wipe it off. I lick it off the top of my finger.

"Where were you?" I throw a look at Kol.

"Don't look at me like that, Emmy. I went three towns over to feed." Kol explains

"Who was it?"

"More like who wasn't it." Kol chuckles. I punch him in the arm making sure not to withhold.

"How many?"

"Don't fret, dear. It was only four people." Kol smiles at me. I sigh and stand up.

"Next time go five towns over." I mutter before heading up the stairs. I hear Kol follow me.

"I heard about the hunter. What a shame…" Kol laughs. I turn to him.

"Who's the little birdy?" I cut to the chase.

"Niklaus, of course. My brother called me to keep an eye on you." Kol holds up his phone.

"Why would you need to keep an eye on me?"

"He thinks you might be the next hunters curse victim."

"He thinks I'm the one who killed Connor? Who told him that?"

"One of the Salvatores apparently." Kol shrugs. He starts to walk past me up the stairs but stops as he approaches the top. "If you aren't the one who killed the hunter, you might want to call my brother and tell him who did. You know, so he doesn't think you're about you lose your mind."

I pass him as I walk up the stairs and go to my room. The phone rings several times before I hear Niklaus' voice at the other end.

"Hello, love. How are the hallucinations?" Klaus sounds sympathetic.

"Nonexistent. I'm not the one who killed Connor." I roll my eyes.

"Stefan informed me that…" He starts.

"Stefan lied. Probably because he was thinking you are going to murder the person who killed your hunter." I sit on my bed.

"Who did it?"

"Think a little, Niklaus. Who would Stefan lie about to protect?" I sigh.

"Little Elena… I'll be home by morning. Good night, love."

"What are you going to do with her?" I ask Niklaus.

"I don't know yet. But I can't let my only chance of making more hybrids kill herself." Niklaus says before I hear the click of him hanging up. I put my phone down and get ready for bed. Sleeping is my one escape from the hectic happenings going on lately.

My plan for sleeping through first and second period doesn't last. The ringing coming from my phone wakes me around the time I would usually get up for school. My phone is buried in my blankets so I take a minute to locate it. I press the answer button and put the phone to my ear without checking the caller I.D.

"Hello?" I answer groggily.

"It's Stefan."

"What do you want?" I swipe some hair away from my face.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"Only my sleep. Nothing really important apparently."

"I'm sorry but do you think you could take Jeremy to school a little early for me?" Stefan asks me.

"Why would I need to do that?"

"Elena almost killed him this morning." Stefan explains.

"Did what?" I sit up.

"She stabbed him in the neck by accident."

"Let me guess, she hallucinated that he was Connor." I get off my bed and pick out a outfit from my dresser.

"How do you know that?" Stefan asks.

"I know someone who went through the same thing." I start to get dressed as I talk. "Just keep an eye on Elena. These hallucinations have a tendency of getting people to want to take their own lives."

"She's in her room."

"Stay nearby. I'll be right over." I hang up the phone and grab my car keys and bag. I can hear Kol still sleeping in his room as I run downstairs. I jump into my old Chevrolet truck and drive straight to Elena's house. Jeremy almost runs into me as I enter the living room.

"You can go to the car." I toss the car keys to him and continue to the kitchen where Damon is standing. I lean against the counter and clear my throat. He spins around and a devious smile appears on his lips.

"Didn't know you were stopping by." Damon tells me. I see the bloody towel on the sink behind him.

"I'm taking Jeremy to school so he doesn't have to linger in a house where a girl stabbed him." I smirk,

"That girl is his sister."

"That girl is being affected by hallucinations that led one of my good friends to try to kill himself several times. Elena will not return to her old self until they're gone and that can take a while. A very very long while." I explain.

"I'm starting to think you know more than your letting on." Damon squints his eyes. I shrug.

"Thanks for getting Jeremy." Stefan comes into the kitchen.

"No problem. With Jeremy out of the house, there's no chance of Elena accidentally harming him."

"Just try to keep him occupied and I'll call you when we…" Stefan is cut off by a phone call.

"That must be Niklaus. He's back in town." I inform the brothers. They exchange a worried look. "He's not planning of harming Elena."

"Time to face the music, pay the piper, dance with the devil." Damon smiles at Stefan.

"I'm glad you find this amusing. If he finds out I told you about the cure…" Stefan starts.

"You seriously thought it would be a good idea to Damon, of all people, about the cure when Niklaus specifically said that if you uttered a word about this to anyone, he would kill you." I look at Stefan. The phone continues to ring. "I really hope you're good at lying."

"You should answer that. It might seem like you're avoiding him, which would come out as being shady. And shady people always get ousted." Damon steps forward and Stefan takes his phone out of his pocket.

"I don't want to talk about it." Stefan answers the call. I listen in easily.

"Well, I can't imagine why. What with you ruining all my plans for a hybrid filled future." Niklaus says.

"Well it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't sworn me to secrecy." Stefan meets my eyes.

"Well life is full of if's Stefan. Let's extenuate the positive, shall we? The hunter was one of five. We'll find another. It may take centuries but we've got nothing but time, right?" Niklaus chuckles.

"You're using your calm voice today. Who's getting killed?" Stefan asks him.

"Not you if that's what you're worried about. But I am concerned about your beloved. Have the hallucinations started yet?"

"What do you know about that?"

"I'll tell you. Where are you?"

"I'm at her house." Stefan answers.

"How convenient? So am I." Niklaus says right before a knock at the door reaches my ears. I look skeptically at Stefan. He nods towards the door.

"Why?" I ask Stefan.

"He'll listen to you." Stefan hangs up the phone.

"You have to come with me." I smile.

"Fine." Stefan agrees and walks to the front of the house with me. Stefan steps outside behind me and I hear the door shut.

"You know this would all be a lot more civilized if I was just invited inside." Niklaus follows Stefan and I down the steps.

"It's bad enough I'm out here talking to you." Stefan sighs.

"Hello, love." Niklaus smiles at me. He kisses the top of my hand. I pull it away the second he stops.

"Niklaus." I nod a hello.

"What do you know about the hallucinations?" Stefan turns to Niklaus.

"I killed the original five hunters, remember." Niklaus looks away from me. "When one kills a hunter there's a bit of a consequence."

"What kind of consequence?" Stefan asks. Niklaus smirks at me.

"Care to explain, love?" Niklaus gestures to me. I purse my lips.

"The hunters were spelled by witches to kill vampires. If you prevent one from fulfilling his destiny then he'll take you down with him." I explain

"What do you mean? Connor's dead." Stefan says.

"I mean Connor's death won't prevent him from making Elena his last vampire kill." Klaus clarifies. "She'll need to come with me now. I'll lock her up. Keep her away from any sharp wooden objects."

"She's not going anywhere with you." Stefan detests.

"Elena should go with him, Stefan. If we leave her alone, she will take her own life before the day is out." I look at Stefan.

"She's stronger than that." Stefan assures him.

"Is she? Believe me, It's for her own good." Niklaus smiles. The front door suddenly opens and Elena steps outside. Niklaus takes his chance and grabs her. He runs away before I can even think about stopping him. Damon steps onto the porch and looks around for Elena.

"She's gone." I look at the brothers.

"Can you find her?" Stefan steps towards me. I hesitate to answer.

"Maybe." I pause. "But first I'm going to drop off Jeremy."

"I'll take him." Stefan suggests.

"No. I need to talk to him." I shake my head and walk towards the car. "I'll tell you if I find her."

"Remember to turn on the charm." Damon calls after me.

"I never turn it off." I smile over my shoulder and get into the car. Jeremy looks up from his phone and takes out his headphones.

"About time. What took you so long?"

"I had to talk to Stefan." I turn on the car and pull away from his house.

"About what?"

"What your sister did last night."

"Do you know what's wrong with her? I know she didn't mean to hurt me." Jeremy shakes his head.

"Of course she didn't, Jeremy. Elena is sort of… sick, I guess." I keep my eyes on the road.

"She can get better right?" I can feel Jeremy's eyes on me.

"Eventually, yes." I purse my lips before taking a peek at him.

"Eventually?"

"The sickness she has is like cancer. There isn't a cure yet but I'm pretty sure we can find one." I explain as I drive into the school parking lot. I stop the car in a parking spot and open my door. "Trust me though, Jeremy, there are a lot of people who want to help your sister. The only question is whether if its for the right reasons."

"Are you doing it for the right reason?" Jeremy opens his door and steps out. I wait until we meet on the sidewalk to answer the question.

"I'm going to try to help her so she can get better and hopefully live. If Elena dies, It's not only her who will be hurt." I walk with Jeremy into the school.

"Thank you, Emerson." Jeremy says after a few seconds of silence.

"You shouldn't thank me until I find that cure." I joke. Jeremy stops in the middle of the hallway.

"She's all I have left so…" Jeremy turns to me.

"You don't have to explain the story when I already know the ending." I pause. "I lost my whole family too when I was young."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen." I answer without hesitation.

"I mean, how old are you really?" Jeremy chuckles.

I watch the tile floor for a minute and gulp. "I'm one thousand and six years old."

"That would make you one of the oldest vampires."

"More like the oldest." I smile.

"You're an original, aren't you?" Jeremy asks me.

"Yes." I bite my lip. "But only Matt and Stefan know about the being an original part so if you could keep it on the down low I would appreciate it."

"I wont tell anyone until you tell me I can but why don't you want them to know?"

"I don't know. I think I'm just afraid of what they would do or think when they find out I'm like Niklaus and Rebekah." I shrug.

"You're nothing like them, Emmy."

"Once you get to know me, you'll realize that I'm almost exactly like them." I tell him. "Go on. You're going to be late for the exhibit."

"Are you staying?" Jeremy starts down the hallway.

"No. I have to help Stefan with something." I smile. Jeremy thanks me for the ride and walks towards the exhibit. I drive straight to Niklaus' house, knowing that it is probably where he's keeping Elena. I park behind Klaus' car and walk into the house without knocking.

"Niklaus!" I shout as I close the front door.

I cross my hands over my chest and sigh. "Niklaus!"

"Hello, love. Did we have a date that I was unaware of?" Niklaus jokes as he walks into the foyer. I roll my eyes.

"No. I'm here to get Elena." I tell him.

"I wont allow that, love. You above all others should agree that she is safer here." Niklaus shakes his head.

"I know that, Niklaus. But her friends are not comfortable with her being here with you." I shrug. "I need to take her with me. I'll keep her safe."

"We both know that you cannot promise that, dear." Niklaus takes three long strides towards me. My heart skips a beat as he leans in but I stand my ground.

"Can I at least talk to her?" I ask Klaus.

"You have five minutes." Niklaus says. He leads me down to a brick room in the basement. The hybrids standing guard move out of the way when Niklaus nods at them. He unlocks the thick door and holds it open for me.

"Emerson!" Elena stands up from the fetal position she was in on a chair. I look her over as I approach her.

"Are you okay?" I ask her.

"Yes… No. I'm having these… I'm seeing…" Elena frantically searches for the words.

"Hallucinations of Connor? I know, Elena." I grab her shoulders. She meets my eyes.

"Niklaus said it never ends." Elena whispers. I can see the fear in her eyes.

"I'm going to help you, Elena. I promise." I tell her. She smiles weakly.

"Do I have to stay here?" Elena looks at me.

"Yes. I know you might not like it but it's the best way to keep you from harming yourself."

"I wont hurt myself." Elena nods.

I look over my shoulder at the closed door. "I was with Niklaus when he went through the exact same thing. Trust me, you will try to take your own life. It's only a matter of time."

"Wait… you were with Niklaus when he killed the hunters?" Elena tilts her head in curiosity. I hesitate to answer.

"I was waiting for the right time to tell everyone at the same time but I guess I should just tell you right now." I pause. "Long story short: I'm the sixth Original vampire."

"You're an original? How is that possible?"

"Mikael put me into transition with his kids back in the tenth century." I explain.

"Does Matt know?"

"Yes. I made him, along with Stefan, promise not to tell anyone." I bite the inside of my cheek.

"Stefan knows? And he didn't tell me?" Elena sighs and runs her hand over her forehead. "How many more secrets is he keeping from me?"

"You'd have to ask him." I purse my lips. "But if he is keeping secrets, it's because he wants to keep you safe."

"I just… don't know what to believe now." Elena shrugs and sits down in a chair.

"Believe that Stefan loves you and would do anything for you." I tell her. She looks up at me and starts to talk but is cut off by the door swinging open.

"Times up, love. You should go now." Niklaus stands in the doorway.

"That was not five minutes." I don't move towards the door.

"On the dot, dear. Come on, lets go." Niklaus gestures out the door. I look back at Elena.

"You can't leave me here." Elena grabs my arm.

"I have to. But I wont let anything happen to you." I pull her into a hug and put my mouth next to her ear. "I'll get you out soon."

"Thank you." Elena whispers.

"Emerson, it is time to go." Niklaus clears his throat and I let go of Elena. I walk past Niklaus and the hybrids return to their place by the door. I walk next to Niklaus up the stairs to the first floor. I stop and turn to Niklaus.

"I know I couldn't help you but I really want to help Elena." I admit.

"You can't help her, love. Trust me." Niklaus smirks.

"I was forced to watch you suffer for years on end with those stupid hallucinations. I don't want Elena to go through the same thing." I open the front door and step outside.

"I was haunted for years by those hunters because there was nothing I could do to stop it. I don't think there is any way to stop them now." Niklaus tells me.

"I'll find one." I walk down to my car.

"Good luck with that, love." Niklaus closes the door. I get into my car, pull out my phone, and call Stefan.

"Where are you?" I ask him as I pull away from Niklaus' house.

"Still at Elena's. Where are you?"

"I visited Elena at Klaus' house." I inform him as I speed down the street.

"How is she?" Stefan asks.

"She's fine. Just a little scared." I keep my eyes on the street. I make a couple of turns to get onto Elena's street.

"You couldn't get her out?"

"No. There are hybrids guarding the room she's being kept in." I park my car in front of Elena's house and get out. "I'm here. I'll be right in."

Stefan hangs up and I go into the house. I join Stefan and Damon in the kitchen.

"Where have you been?" Damon smiles.

"Trying to get your brothers girlfriend back." I sit at the counter.

"How did that go?" Damon questions.

"Niklaus is right about one thing; Elena is safe in that room. There is nothing she can hurt herself with."

"Elena is stronger than that. She wouldn't take her own life." Stefan speaks up.

"Even Niklaus, one of the strongest vampire out there, tried to kill himself several times. The only problem is that he is immortal so he can't die. If these hallucinations continue, she will commit suicide." I tell them.

"So what do we do?" Stefan asks me.

"We stop the hallucinations and then get her out of Klaus' house." I plan.

"Sounds like a plan. How do we stop the crazy images from popping up in her head?" Damon asks.

"I don't know." I shrug.

"I think I know a specific professor that might be able to help us." Damon purses his lips. Damon leaves a few minutes later after muttering something about going to the school. Stefan pulls out his phone as the front door closes behind Damon.

"Who are you calling?" I ask him. His eyes stay on the phone.

"Caroline. She might be able to get Tyler to help us with the hybrids." Stefan puts the phone to his ear. I can hear the dials.

"Hello?" Caroline answers.

"Niklaus has Elena. I need Tyler to get the other hybrids away so I can get her out." Stefan gets to the point. "I know I'm probably asking the impossible…"

"Actually, you're not." Caroline says after a pause. I smile at Stefan.

Caroline tells Stefan to come to Tyler's house. She says she will explain everything when we get there. Stefan lets me drive there. Tyler and Caroline are waiting for us in the living room when I enter the house alongside Stefan. Tyler tells us he can get the hybrids away.

"How?" I ask him.

"Hayley is the one who helped me break the sire bond. She showed me what to do, how to help. When she showed up here, I thought it was just a coincidence. Turns out she's been helping one of the hybrids; her friend Chris. And she came to help us get the rest of them out from underneath Klaus." Tyler explains.

"So, are you telling me that Chris isn't sired anymore?" Stefan tries to clarify.

"That is exactly what he's telling you." Caroline smiles.

"How are we going to keep Klaus out of the house long enough to get Elena out?" I question.

"That is where you come in." Stefan smirks at me. I start to shake my head no. "Just keep him occupied for a while so we can get in and out without worry."

"I don't know if I'd be able to fool him." I hesitate to agree with the plan.

"You were his first love. You can make him do anything." Stefan assures me.

"His first what?" Caroline sits up in her seat. I look at her and try to find a way to explain it but Stefan cuts off my thoughts.

"This will make this whole thing go a lot easier." Stefan prods. I sigh.

"Fine. I'll do it." I agree. I text Niklaus and find out that he's at the Mystic Grill. I start to walk out of the room but Caroline stops me.

"Wait. Stefan, you just said that she was his first love. How long have you known him?" Caroline asks both of us. I smirk at Stefan.

"Can you explain it, Stefan?" Stefan answers with a nod. I hurry out of the house and start towards the Mystic Grill. Before I step out of the car I make sure my curly hair isn't out of control and that my make up is still intact. I enter the restaurant and find Klaus immediately at the bar. I walk up behind him quietly.

"Hello, love." Niklaus greets me without turning around. I scoff.

"You're hearing is still impeccable."

"It's a perk of being a vampire, dear." Niklaus raises a glass.

"Depends on who you're asking." I add.

"Exactly." Niklaus smirks. "So, what brings you here, love?"

"Is it weird for me to just want to have a random conversation with an old friend?"

"I think you forget that I've known for over a thousand years, sweetheart." Niklaus looks at me. "What do you need, love?"

"I need you to give Elena back." I answer.

"They sent you to sweet talk me. Well, good form, but I can't do that, love."

"Why not?"

"You, above everyone, knows that she needs me."

"Actually, she doesn't. I can offer the same help that you can. I think you just want her to be in your debt." I cross my arms over my chest and shift my weight.

"Let me buy you a drink, love." Klaus gestures.

"Such a gentleman." I sit at the bar. Klaus orders bourbon for me.

"Do you remember that one time in Italy we stayed up all night just talking about the future?" I turn to him.

"Of course. I have thought back to those nights many times throughout the years." Niklaus meets my eyes.

"Why's that?"

"It's one of the nicest memories I have of us together." Klaus admits.

"Yeah. I admired how honest you were." I pause. "Though none of your dreams are the same now probably."

"I have held onto a few."

"Like what?" I question him. I'm interested in what his answer might be.

"I have never stopped wanting you. I always hoped you would find your way back to me so we could be together again." Klaus takes a long drink. I'm not sure how to proceed.

"Well we're together now." I smile at him. He shakes his head.

"I meant a different kind of together, love." Niklaus whispers.

"I love you, Niklaus. Just not how you want me to." I drink out of the glass the bartender placed in front of me.

"Somewhere deep inside I know that you do."

"Well those feelings must be buried pretty deep then." I cock my head to the side.

"I'll help you dig them up." Niklaus smirks.

"You can dig all you want but you'll never find them." I place both hands on my cup.

"I know we are meant to be together. It's just a matter of time now, love." Klaus takes my hand. I hesitate to pull away. I'm supposed to be charming him.

"Let's say it does happen. Somehow I fall deeply in love with you and everything you've always wanted is given to you on a silver platter. What would you do? Would we get married? Would we live here in Mystic Falls or move somewhere else or maybe be nomads? What is your plan for us? Do you have one?" I question him.

"I like to take things day by day, love." Klaus smirks.

I scoff. "So you can't even see this amazing future you've wanted for the two of us?"

"I can see us living a happy life together and that is all I ask for."

"Thank you." I whisper.

"For what?"

"Being truthful. I know that the truth is not often spoken these days but it is nice to know that you trust me with it."

"I always have, Emerson, and I always will." Niklaus pauses. "You are one of the only people I trust."

"Maybe you should get some new friends then." I shrug. Niklaus chuckles.

"All I need is you then I'll be set for life. And I'm planning on living for a long time." He winks.

"You're relentless." I purse my lips. I feel niklaus grab my arms and turn me towards him.

"I love you, Emerson. I have lived a thousand years and have yet to find a girl that makes me feel the same way you always have. I will do everything in my power to make sure that you, my true love, never end up with another man." Niklaus keeps his eyes on mine. He starts to lean in. I know he is going in for a kiss. I close my eyes and wait for his lips to reach mine. My phone rings as he closes in and I open my eyes.

"I should get that." I hop off the stool and walk towards the bathroom. I open the text from Stefan about Elena escaping. As I read it I realize I have to tell Niklaus the truth about why I was here. I take a deep breath and approach him at the bar.

"What was so important that it managed to tear you away from our romantic moment." Niklaus looks at me.

"I was never going to let you kiss me." I lie. I pause before continuing. "Look, the real reason I came here was to distract you so Stefan could break Elena out. He did but she escaped."

Klaus scowls at me for a moment before pushing himself off the stool. He starts towards the door.

"Niklaus, wait. There's one other thing you need to know." I start after him. He doesn't break a step and continues out of the grill. I stay on his heels. "You need to hear this."

Niklaus turns on his heels suddenly and grabs my arms. He pushes up against the building. My head bounces of the brick wall. Klaus keeps my arms pinned at my sides.

"You better talk fast, love. I am twenty seconds from snapping your neck and killing Stefan." Niklaus mutters.

"They found out how to stop the hallucinations." I tell him.

"You're bluffing." Niklaus stares me down.

"No, I'm not. In order for Connor to stop torturing Elena we have to start another hunter's career." I explain.

"And do you have a prospect?" Niklaus keeps me against the wall.

"Jeremy Gilbert." I utter the name. Niklaus lets me go.

"Do you have a vampire he could kill?"

"That's where you come in. We need you to give up a hybrid." I gulp. I already have an expected answer.

"On one condition." Niklaus smiles.

"And what's that?"

"You agree to go on a date with me." Niklaus smirks.

"What are you, thirteen?" I sigh. "Fine. I'll go on one date with you in return for one hybrid delivered to Jeremy Gilbert."

"We have a deal, love." He walks to his car as I walk to mine. "I have one question though."

"What is it?"

"Do you prefer Chinese or Columbian?" Niklaus asks me. I shake my head.

"Neither. Just make sure they serve steak raw." I duck into my car and pull out of the parking spot. I text Stefan and he tells me to meet him at his house and I text Klaus to follow me to the house. When I pull up to Stefan's I see him sitting on the steps outside the front door. I walk up to him and sit down on the same step.

"Did he agree to the plan?" Stefan looks at me.

"Yes. He's going to let Jeremy kill one hybrid." I pause. "Hopefully that is all we'll need."

"It is. But how did you get him to agree to it?" Stefan smiles at me.

"I told him I would go on one date with him." I sigh. Stefan chuckles.

"I'm sure that's what he's been waiting for a thousand years." Stefan shrugs.

"It's a innocent date. I'm sure nothing is going to come of it." I tell him surely.

"You're not fooling me, Emerson. And I'm almost positive that you're not fooling Niklaus."

"It's more complicated than it looks." I bite my lip. Niklaus pulls up in his car.

"I know." Stefan squeezes my hand reassuringly. I sigh before standing up. Stefan walks beside me to Klaus' car. Niklaus leans against the hood and crosses his arms over his chest.

"Do you know which hybrid you're going to sacrfice?" I ask him.

"Chris. He defied me. He deserves to die." Niklaus shrugs. I exchange a look with Stefan.

"It has to be someone." Stefan tells me.

"Do you know where he is?" Stefan asks Klaus.

"At Tyler's house. He's going to try to run." Niklaus smirks. I hug my arms.

"Let's go. I'll pick up Jeremy on the way and tell him the plan." Stefan says.

"I'll get him." I start to my car. "I need to talk to him about something."

"Meet us at the Lockwood mansion and hurry. We need to get him before he hits the road." Stefan nods. I slip into my car and speed to Elena's house. I knock on the front door and Jeremy answers.

"Come on. We have to go. I'll explain everything on the way." I tell him. He hesitantly walks out of the house and closes the door behind him. I lead him to my car.

"Where are we going?" Jeremy asks as I turn on the ignition.

"The Lockwood mansion. You're going to be killing a hybrid." I speed away from his house.

"Are you serious? Why?"

"In order for Elena's hallucinations to stop, we need you to start that hunter's mark." I gesture to his hand. He looks down at it.

"How am I going to be able to kill a hybrid?"

"Niklaus is going to help us." I inform him. Jeremy looks at me skeptically. "He can't have his doppelganger committing suicide."

Jeremy stays silent. I pull to a stop at a red light and turn to him. "I know how hard it can be to take an innocent life. You don't have to do this if you don't want to, Jeremy. No one is going to force you kill the hybrid. I wont let them. Just say the word and I'll turn around and call it off."

"Are you sure it will help Elena?" Jeremy sighs.

"Yes."

"Is it the only way?"

"Yes." I nod. The light turns green and I take the last turn onto Tyler's street. "Last chance. Are you in?"

"I need to keep my sister alive. She's all I have." Jeremy runs a finger over the top of his hand.

"Okay." I reach behind my seat and pull out the cleaver. I hold it out to him. "You're going to need this."

"What am I going to do? Chop his head off?" Jeremy weighs the weapon in his hands.

"Yes. It's the only way to kill a hybrid." I pull into Tyler's driveway. "Stefan is going to stab him with a stake first to take him down. That's where you come in and…"

"Kill my first vampire." Jeremy looks up at the house as I pull to a stop. Stefan is sitting on the front steps, probably waiting for his cue.

"It'll be fine." I assure him. He opens the car door and steps out. My phone buzzes in my pocket and pull it out. I read the text message before turning my attention back to Jeremy.

"Aren't you coming?" Jeremy asks me.

"No. I have no need to be here for this part." I shrug. Jeremy nods and closes the door. Stefan approaches the car as Jeremy starts up the steps.

"Come on. We need you." Stefan leans on the car door.

"No you don't. You guys have everything covered. I really don't need to get any deeper into this than I already am. Tell Jer good luck on his first kill." I start the car once more.

"Is everything okay, Emerson?" Stefan asks me. I smile sweetly.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?" I check the time on my phone. "I really have to go. I'm meeting someone."

"Who?"

"That's for me to know and for you to never find out." I wink. "Text me how everything turns out."

I drive onto the street and head to the location in the text, Niklaus' house. I walk up the front steps and ring the doorbell. Elijah smiles at me as he opens the door. I step inside and he leads me into the living room.

"What was so important that you had to talk to me this minute?" I question him.

"I've been wanting to tell since you got here but I just haven't had the courage." Elijah explains.

"Why would you need courage?"

"Is it true that you have cared for me more than a brother since we were human children?" Elijah steps towards me.

"Who told you?" I try to think of a way to deny it.

"So it is true." Elijah shakes his head.

"Yes. Okay, I have cared for you… I have been in love with you since we were mere humans." I bite my lip. "Who told you?"

"It does not matter."

"It matters to me. Who told you?" I repeat the question.

"Rebekah. She thought I should know after I shared some news with her." Elijah informs me.

"What news?"

"Why didn't you tell me? Did you not think that I would reciprocate those feelings?" Elijah starts to pace.

"Of course not. You had told me many times that I was like a sister to you and that was all. Then you started seeing Katerina. Why would you choose me over her? She was a perfect human and I was a… a flawed vampire." I shrug and sit on the couch behind me. "Did you reciprocate those feelings?"

"Not until you left. Not until I thought I would never see you again did I realize how much I needed you… how deep my love for you really was." Elijah turns to me. I purse my lips and bury my face in my hands.

"Say something." Elijah sits next to me on the couch.

"You have had centuries, a whole millennium to decipher your true feelings. And it took this long to figure it out?" I stand up and place my hands on my head. I try to control my breathing. A lot of different feelings are starting to arise inside of me.

"I'm sorry that it took all this time but I know what I want now. I love you, Emerson MacIntyre." Elijah stands up and takes two steps towards me. He cups my face in his hands and leans in until our lips meet. I don't hesitate to kiss him back. I have been waiting for this kiss for a long time and it is just how I imagined it. It is perfect. Everything I had hoped I would feel, I do. After a minute I pull away.

"It's too late, Elijah. I have agreed to go out with your brother." I pause. "And I always keep my word."

"It is a mistake I will have to live with. Niklaus is one of the luckiest men alive." He closes the gap between us and kisses my forehead lightly. "I love you, Emerson."

I feel him move away from me and when I open my eyes, he's gone. The last four words hang in the air.

"I love you too, Elijah." I bite my lip to keep back the tears. I don't bother looking for him. We both need to keep some space between us for a while.

I get into my car and start driving towards the town line. I drive past five more towns before I stop. I park my car in front of a busy bar and walk in with my head up. A lonely man at the bar catches my eye immediately. I manage to get him to have a few drinks with me before luring him into the alleyway behind the building. I compel him not to scream as I drink from him. I drink and drink until he goes limp. I make him forget what I did and walk back into the bar. I repeat the process with three more guys. I let the last limp body fall to the floor next to the others. As I walk to my car I try to leave my feelings for Elijah behind. I know it's truly inevitable to stop loving a man after centuries of longing but I can pretend to. I've always been pretty good at hiding my true feelings. This will be another one of those times. I hope it will be just as easy.

****There it is finally. I am so sorry it took so long to get up. There are a lot of explanations but I'm just going to apologize. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it was long and i apologize for the length. Please review with thoughts, opinions, and ideas. I am requesting at least ****two**** reviews before I post the next chapter. It will cover My Brothers Keeper (4x7). I need to know whom you think Emerson should end up with (Like who you are shipping: Niklaus&Emerson or Elijah&Emerson or anything else and if you have any ideas for shipping names, i would love to hear them because i can't think of any) It will help shape the story. Thank you for reading!**


	13. My Brother's Keeper

**I realized that I haven't done a disclaimer so…**

**Disclaimer:_ I Do Not Own Anything But My OC's_**

**My Brothers Keeper**

**~1492~**

_The smell of fresh blood wakes me from my sleep. I sit up in my bed and swing my legs over the side. My toes curl under grabbing the soft carpet. When I stand, my nightgown falls to my knees. I stretch my arms out over my head before starting out of my bedroom. The scent of blood leads me to the top of the stairs. I tiptoe down the steps and turn into the living room. The smell is almost overwhelming in the room and now I see why. Bodies are scattered across the room. Some are male others female, some are mangled beyond repair while others look like they could be sleeping. I push away the urge to feed on the already lifeless bodies. As my eyes dance around to the different humans I see movement in the corner. I hop over several bodies and arrive at a built up pile of dead girls. I start pulling the bodies off the pile one by one. When Klaus sits up, I nearly kill him._

_"Good morning, love." He smiles happily. He stretches as if he has just awoken from a long sleep._

_"What have you done?" I pull my curly hair over to my right shoulder._

_"Oh, this. Kol and I were just having a little fun, love." Niklaus pushes the remaining girls off his legs and stands. His entire outfit is soaked in blood._

_"You call this fun? You think that killing innocent humans by the dozens is fun?" I ask him. He looks at me._

_"It was fun, love." Klaus laughs lightly._

_"It was a massacre." I shake my head._

_"Same thing, dear." He waves off my last comment._

_"It is not the same thing, Niklaus. You went too far this time and it cannot be undone."_

_"We are vampires. We are seen as bloodsucking demons to most. Nothing is going to far for us." Klaus argues._

_"Shouldn't we be trying to prove the humans wrong then? Show them that we can be more than just night dwelling bloodsuckers." I pause. "Instead of proving them right."_

_"We are what we are. You have to come to terms with it, love. I have and because of it I am now having the time of my life." Niklaus tells me._

_"Are you truly? You can tell me that you are living the exact life you want to be living."_

_"I am not going to be regretting the occurrences that took place last night if that is what you are trying to do." Klaus informs me. I purse my lips._

_"I can tell this conversation is going no where. I am going to eat breakfast. This better be cleaned up by the time I return." I turn on my heels and proceed to the kitchen. The wooden door swings open at the lightest push. Our head maid is already working steadily at the stove when I enter. She turns around with a smile on her thin lips._

_"Good morning, miss Emerson. Would you like something to eat?" She approaches me._

_"A simple breakfast would do Clarice." I sit at the table._

_"How did you sleep?" Clarice moves back to her cooking area._

_"I slept great." I pause. "Have you seen the living room yet?"_

_"Yes, ma'am. I will go back in with reinforcements later to clean up the… mess." Clarice stays focused on the food._

_"No. There is no need for it. I want Niklaus and Kol to be the ones responsible for cleaning up their mess for once. Even if they try to bargain a deal with you, do not. That is an order." I look at her. She turns to face me._

_"I already got the deal I have been asking for so I do not wish for anything else." Clarice bows her head obediently._

_"I do not know why you wish to become one of us. Although the Mikaelson's and I make it seem like a life of luxury, truly it is not." I shake my head._

_"I am aware, dear." She pauses. "Before my son was born, my husband and I made a long list of things that we had wished to accomplish. We had yet to cross one thing off the list when my dear Henry and Jacob passed. While we had started to save money for the things we planned to do, we never came close to the end goal. That is why I started working again as a housemaid. I never expected it to take so long to save the amount I need. I want to be able to finish that list before I reach old age and I am afraid I will not be able to do that. That is why I wish to become immortal. When I cross the last thing off the list, I will take my own life or get someone to do it for me."_

_"If you are sure it is what you want, then I support you. But once you are put into transition, it can never be undone."_

_"I know I will not regret it." She smiles lightly before returning to work._

_"After seeing all that Niklaus and Kol and even I have done, I am surprised you haven't left." I sigh._

_"It was unbelievable at first. But I got used to the blood." Clarice shrugs._

_"Is it bad that their actions still surprise me?"_

_"One person can only handle so much before they crack, dear." Clarice continues to work._

_"I wonder what I'll do when I crack." I bite my lip._

_"Do you want to stay long enough to find out?" Clarice looks at me._

_"What do you mean? I cannot leave them." I shake my head._

_"You can do whatever you like, dear. Being what you are gives you many possibilities."_

_"They would never let me go and I am not sure that I would be able to find the will to do so."_

_"If there ever is a time for you to depart the Mikealson's, you will know it. And you will have the courage and will to act." Clarice assures me. "Klaus is planning another party tonight. Maybe it would be a good idea to slip away in the middle of the festivities."_

_I stand from the table and tell Clarice that I am no longer hungry. She nods and watches me leave the kitchen. I walk up the stairs without looking in on Klaus. I hurry to the top of the staircase. I almost run into Kol as I head to my bedroom. It is apparent he has just finished taking a bath by the lack of clothing. I try to get past him without confrontation but he catches my attention._

_"I'm guessing you've already seen the newly improved living room?" Kol smiles charmingly. He runs a small towel over his hair._

_"Yes. And I have to say good work." I fake a smile and take step. He steps in front of me to stop me._

_"You're lying." Kol guesses._

_"No. The way you chose the weakest victims and picked to completely mangle some bodies while leaving others almost untouched." I work my way around him and continue to my room without breaking eye contact. I open my door and step inside. I turn to him. "I am not lying to you. No, truthfully I… I was completely speechless."_

_I shut the door before he has a chance to respond. I take a couple of large leather bags out from under my bed and pack all my clothes. When I finish I throw them back under my bed. I am not completely sure that I will be departing tonight. But if I am, I will be ready._

**~2010~**

I drive twenty miles over the speed limit all the way home. I don't stop at any lights even if they are red. I screech to a halt in front of my house and unlock the front door. The taste of blood still lingers in my mouth. I go to the kitchen and pour myself a glass of water from the sink. As I lift the glass to my lips I hear someone coming up behind me. I turn and push the person against the fridge by their neck.

"I didn't think you would be home." I let go of Kol's neck. He gives me a questionable look. "What?"

"Is that blood?" Kol swipes his finger under my bottom lip quickly. He holds it out for me to see.

"I was hungry." I shrug.

"How many people did you need to quench your thirst?" Kol smiles. I know he's having some fun.

"Six." I mutter the number. "But I didn't drain all of them."

"Of course you didn't." Kol nods and pulls himself up onto the counter. "So what's wrong?"

"Nothing." I turn back to the sink and gulp down the water.

"Something is always wrong when you binge drink."

"Nothing is wrong. I was just hungry." I try to convince him. He shakes his head and jumps off the counter.

"Have you forgotten that I have known you since you were four." Kol corners me. "You know that you can trust me."

I try to find a way to tell him what had happened without too much detail but all I can get out is "Elijah told me he loved me."

"Isn't that a good thing? Isn't that what you've been waiting for him to say?" Kol questions me.

"He was too late, Kol. I've already realized that I share feelings for Niklaus and I've agreed to go out on a date with him." I explain quietly.

"You're actually going out with Klaus by choice?"

"We made a deal and in return for him coming through on his side I agreed to give him a chance."

"It's only one date. It's not like you two are an official couple." Kol shrugs.

"No but I know that if I go on this date with him, I will only fall more in love with him. Niklaus is the perfect man for me and that scares the hell out of me. But so is Elijah, the only problem is that he was an hour too late." I purse my lips.

"First come, first serve."

"I hate myself for doing this to them." I shake my head.

"You shouldn't. Elijah was aware that Klaus has feelings for you and Niklaus was aware that you have feelings for Elijah. They should have known what they were getting themselves into." Kol pulls me into a bear hug.

"I guess I just have to get through that date with Niklaus and then see what happens." I sigh.

"When is this date?" Kol asks me.

"I don't know. He gets to plan it. I hope he keeps it simple. It would be nice to have a simple date for once." I lean against the counter.

"Knowing my brother, he will probably go all out." Kol scoffs

"I'm going to head off to bed. Goodnight, Kol." I kiss him on the cheek before heading upstairs. I get dressed for bed and hop under my covers. I try to relax and stop my brain from over thinking. I fall asleep wondering what lies ahead for me.

**THE NEXT MORNING…**

I awaken to a text message from Stefan. He asks me to come meet him in the woods. I throw on a simple outfit made up of a tank top, shorts, and flats. I don't know what Stefan wants to do or what he wants to talk about so I just take my phone. I decide to walk to the meeting destination since it's not that far and I could use some fresh air. Once I enter the woods it doesn't take me long to find Stefan. I'm a little surprised to see him wearing work out clothes.

"What's up?" I ask Stefan.

"I need to let go of some pent up aggression. You want to go for a real run?" Stefan smiles.

"My shoes aren't the right…" I pause when I see Stefan's face. "Sure."

"Let's go to the town line and back." Stefan tells me. I nod.

"Is something wrong, Stefan? Did something happen yesterday after I left?" I question him.

"No. Jeremy did fine. He killed the hybrid. Tyler got a little upset but that was predictable. And Damon found Elena." He pauses. "Oh. Elena and I also broke up."

"Wait. What?"

"Elena and I broke up." Stefan repeats casually. I try not to explode with questions.

"Why?"

"Both of us know that she has feelings for Damon and when she turned they just got magnified to the extent where I couldn't take it anymore." Stefan shrugs.

"Are you okay?" I step towards him and place a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine. But the question is, are you ready to get your ass handed to you?" Stefan smirks. I smile.

"Please. I once ran across the entire United States without stopping. I can run to a town border easily and smoke you in the process." I let go of Stefan and slip off my flats. I stretch out my legs and we line up at a tree. My bare feet sink into the floor a bit as I wait to start. Since it's still early the sun has yet to dry the slightly dampened floor.

"We'll see." Stefan mutters.

He counts down from three and then we're off. As we run my feet barely touch the floor and I can feel the wind flowing through my hair. I realize how much I've missed it. Lately the many available modes of transportation haven't given me much reason to run to get somewhere. I need to remember to start running more often. I beat Stefan to the town border but I know that a triumph against an Original vampire might lift his spirits so I slow down on the way back so he wins by a millisecond. He smiles as we slow after passing the finish line. We take a second to catch our breath. Stefan sits on the floor and leans against a tree.

"Guess I need to start running again." I sit next to Stefan.

"Thank you." Stefan looks at me.

"For what?" I ask him.

"Letting me win. I appreciate it." Stefan smiles lightly and nudges me with his shoulder.

"What are you talking about? I never _let_ people win. You won, fair and square." I tell him.

"All right. But that does mean I get bragging rights." Stefan reminds me.

"Brag away." I wave my hand in the air. We both laugh lightly.

"What are you going to do about school? I mean you have to go and you have a few classes with Elena."

"I think we both need some time off." Stefan suggests.

"Stefan Salvatore, you can't be talking about skipping class?" I act appalled.

"Missing three days of History and English wont hurt us. We already know everything we need to." Stefan shrugs.

"I think you're a bad influence on me." I shake my head.

"Are you going to Miss Mystic Falls this weekend?" Stefan asks me after a minute of silence.

"I don't know. Probably. I haven't been to one in years." I joke.

"If I'm going, so are you." Stefan stands up. I pull on my flats.

"Fine." I take Stefan's hand and he lifts me off the floor easily. I brush off my shorts and cross my arms over my chest. "It's normal to suspect something is going to happen at the Pageant, right?"

"It is Mystic Falls."

**DAY OF MISS MYSTIC FALLS…**

Like the days prior to Miss Mystic Falls, Stefan and I meet early in the morning and complete a simple work out. Simple work out for vampires anyway. When we finish I lie on my back. Stefan starts doing push ups. It's like he never gets tired.

"So, you still up to going to Miss Mystic Falls?" I watch Stefan continue his work out.

"I don't know." Stefan answers.

"I talked to Caroline yesterday. She wanted me to make sure you were going to be at the pageant."

"I know I'm a founding family member but truthfully, I'm not sure if I'm up to seeing Elena yet. And she'll probably go with Damon." Stefan sighs. He stops doing push ups and lays down next to me.

"Are you afraid to see her, or talk to her?" I turn my head towards my friend.

"Both. If she sees me, she'll want to talk about it." Stefan tells me.

"We should go to show everyone that you can have fun and enjoy yourself without Elena." I sit up.

"What if I can't?" Stefan sits up too.

"Come on, Stefan. If anyone knows how to have a good time, it's an Original vampire." I smirk. He smiles and stands up. I take the hand he offers and stand up as well.

"But if Elena is with Damon…" Stefan starts.

"She's not. Matt told me that she's making him take her." I inform him.

"I thought you were trying to keep your distance from him." Stefan throws me a look.

"I can't avoid the kid forever. I work with him; I go to school with him. He's one of the closest friends I've made here and I'm glad I can trust him. I just don't want to hurt him and I really don't want Kol to kill him." I shrug.

"That's why you made him move out?"

"He was never living with me." I lie.

"I saw him circle back that night I visited. It's fine. You two are both lonely teenagers needing attention." Stefan jokes.

"Shut up, Stefan." I shove him pretty hard. He takes a step back and holds his arm, faking pain. Suddenly Niklaus shows up behind him and gets Stefan in a chokehold.

"In what world do the words tell no one mean tell your brother and every teenage sycophant in town?" Klaus asks Stefan.

"The secret's safe. No one who knows about the cure will endanger us. Trust me, you know I want to find it more than anyone else." Stefan doesn't bother fighting the hold.

"Well then, I suggest you find more vampires for Jeremy to kill before I'm tempted to offer you up as a victim." Niklaus smirks before releasing Stefan. "And try and keep this one to yourself, would you?"

"Do you think it's going to be easy to find a vampire we can offer up?" I speak up.

"Hello, love." Niklaus turns to me. "I've been thinking about that date and I think the pageant would be a perfect location."

"What if I wanted to help Stefan go vampire hunting?" I cross my arms over my chest.

"Oh well. I'll pick you up at twelve, love." Klaus starts to walk away but turns suddenly. "And make sure to wear something nice."

"Don't I always." I smile sarcastically. Niklaus vanishes and I turn to Stefan.

"Where are you going to get another vampire that you're okay with killing?" I question

"I'll find one. The pageant will be a perfect distraction so I can do what I need to." Stefan answers.

"I guess I should go. I need to find a dress." I roll my head back.

"You should give him a real chance. He might surprise you." Stefan predicts.

"That's what I'm afraid of." I purse my lips. "Good luck hunting."

"Thanks." Stefan smiles.

I walk home and jump into the shower. I know I have a while until Klaus will show up so I take my time. I dry my hair and decide to leave it down. I get changed into a simple but nice dress. Until now, I haven't been able to come up with an excuse to wear it. After I do my make up I realize I still have extra time. I almost run into Kol leaving my room.

"Where are you going all dressed up like that?" Kol smirks.

"The Miss Mystic Falls Pageant." I tell him.

"Oh, really?" Kol gets that look in his eye. I open my mouth to restrict him from making an appearance but he stops me. "Don't worry. I won't be showing up there. I've got better things to do."

"What? Like torment people in the surrounding towns?" I cock my head to the side.

"Exactly. Are you going to be seeing my brother soon?" Kol asks me as I try to walk away.

"He's going to be my date." I sigh. "Why?"

"No reason. Just curious." Kol smiles.

I roll my eyes and continue down the stairs. I go straight to the basement and open up the large fridge. I pull out two blood bags and take them back upstairs with me. I pour the first one into a glass and I place the second one in my bag. I don't want to be getting hungry at the pageant. I gulp down my breakfast and make sure to wash off any residue on my lips. The doorbell rings as I put the glass in the sink. I pull on my heels and grab my bag from the counter. When I open the door, Niklaus smiles at me.

"Hello, love. You look beautiful." He leans in and I let him kiss me on the cheek.

"Thank you. You look quite dashing yourself." I compliment his outfit. I don't think anyone can deny that the Mikaelson men look good in tuxedos.

"Are you ready to go?" Niklaus asks me.

"Yes. Caroline might need some last minute help with prep work." I walk out of the house and close the door behind me.

"Are you two friends?" Klaus looks at me.

"Yes. It's easy to get along with her." I pause. "She reminds me of Mishelle."

"Your friend that I met?"

"Yes. It's nice to see that people like her still exist." I admit.

"Yes. Caroline is one of a kind." Niklaus keeps his eyes on the floor. I take his arm as we descend the front steps. When I see the car I start to debate not continuing down the stairs. Sitting in my driveway is one of the nicest cars I have laid my eyes on.

"Please say you did not buy this for our date." I sigh.

"I would, but I don't like to lie to you, love." He continues down the steps.

"How much did it cost?" I ask him.

"You know that money isn't an issue." Klaus chuckles. He opens the passenger side door for me and I slip inside.

"I can tell." I say once Niklaus gets into the car.

"Where is your little friend anyways? She seemed like good company." Niklaus tells me as he pulls out of the driveway.

"She was. She died earlier this year." I inform him.

"How? Stake to the heart?" Klaus continues driving.

"No. We were eating dinner and she just dropped dead out of the blue." I explain. Niklaus tears his eyes from the road and looks at me.

"When was this?"

"March." I answer without a second thought.

"Do you know whose bloodline she was in?" Niklaus turns back to the road.

"Finn turned her." I tell him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Why?

"Finn was killed in March. An hour or so after he died, his bloodline died with him." Niklaus turns into the Lockwoods driveway.

"What? You are joking, right? I mean if it happened to Finn, what about the rest of us?" I start to over think.

"If all of us die, the entire vampire race will be wiped out."

"And technically whoever killed Finn, killed Mishelle?" I bite my lip.

"I'm afraid so." Klaus pills to a stop behind a couple cars. He jumps out and opens my door for me.

"And that happens to be one of my closest friends here?" I sigh. "That's just great."

"I'm sorry, love." He offers his arm as we start to ascend the stairs.

"It's fine. I just didn't see it coming." I admit. My phone buzzes in my purse. I take it out and read the urgent text from Stefan.

**Meet me in the Lockwood cellar. Now.**

"Can you get me a drink? I'll be right in. I just need to talk to someone." I smile innocently. Klaus hesitates but nods.

"I'll see you inside, love." He plants a light kiss on my cheek before proceeding inside.

The second he's out of site, I pull off my heels. I drop them behind a bush by the front door and run towards the cellar. When I get to the entrance I kind of wish I had brought my shoes with me. I tip toe down the dirty stairs and listen for movement. I find Stefan further inside.

"What was so urgent that I had to abandon Niklaus?" I cross my arms over my chest.

"Follow me." Stefan leads me into the cell. When I see the chained up man I understand what he's doing.

"Where did you find him?" I kneel by the man who has yet to complete his transition.

"The hospital. He's a convicted murderer with only one regret; getting caught." Stefan explains. I can tell he feels only a bit guilty.

"Nice work." I stand up and face Stefan. "Where's our hunter?"

"On his way. But I'm not sure if he'll do it willingly." Stefan keeps his eye on the murderer.

"He knows it's the only way to help his sister. He'll do it." I tell him.

"I guess we'll see." Stefan shrugs. I hear movement outside the cellar.

"He's here." I announce. Stefan walks out of the cell but I stay with the man. I take the man's face in my hands and look into his eyes. "How many have you killed?"

"Three women." He answers truthfully.

"Why?"

"I like seeing life leave the body. They were just at the wrong place at the wrong time." The man smirks.

"You really do deserve to die." I let go of the man and lean against the cell wall.

"Who is that?" Jeremy asks as Stefan leads him into the cell.

"Oh, it doesn't really matter. All that matters is that you're a vampire hunter and he's a vampire." Stefan pulls out a knife. "Well, almost."

I watch as Stefan opens the knife, grabs Jeremy's wrist, and cuts it. The second the blood appears, Stefan makes the killer drink it. After a second, Stefan releases Jeremy and he backs up. The man's eyes change into that of a hungry vampire. Stefan holds out a wooden stake to Jeremy.

"What is this? All so that I can stake him?" Jeremy looks at me. I take the stake from Stefan's hand and place it into Jeremy's.

"You want your sister to get better, go back to being the human sister you love and don't want to kill, right?" Jeremy nods. "Then you need to kill this son of a bitch. He's not an innocent man. He has killed three times without regret and he will gladly do it again. This time, he'll be a unstoppable vampire."

"Do it, Jeremy or I will rip off the chains for real." Stefan takes the man's chains in his hands and starts to lead him towards Jeremy slowly. Jeremy thrusts the stake into the murderer's heart. Stefan drops the chains and Jeremy stabs the man a few more times before Stefan calls him off.

"Alright, enough. He's dead." Stefan tells Jeremy. Jeremy rips the stake out of the man's back and stares at Stefan.

"I need to get back to Niklaus." I help Jeremy off the cement floor. He tosses the bloodied stake at Stefan.

"I'll take care of him." Stefan gestures to the dead vampire on the floor. I start to walk out of the cell.

"Are you coming, Jer?" I look back at him. He nods his head.

"Yes. Tell April I'll be there in time for her introduction." Jeremy meets my eyes. I hesitate but nod and continue out of the cellar. I run back to the house and grab my shoes and bag out from behind the bush. I slip on my heels and walk inside the front door. I look around the busy rooms for my date but to no avail. I make my way to the backyard where most of the guests are gathered.

"Emerson." I turn to see Tyler and some girl. "I want you to meet Hayley."

"It's nice to meet you, Hayley." I pause and give Tyler a look. "Where's Caroline?"

" I don't know. Probably taking charge somewhere." Tyler answers.

"You guys came together?" I gesture to Hayley. Tyler nods.

"Yes. Caroline and I are taking a break." Tyler explains.

"Really? Because you guys looked pretty cozy the other day." I cock my head to the side.

"Can you keep your voice down?" Tyler takes my arm and pulls me aside. Hayley stays in her spot and starts picking at her fingernails.

"You didn't really break up, did you?" I smile lightly.

"No. But I can't tell you anymore than that." Tyler tells me.

"Fine. I hope you know what you're doing though." I shrug. "Have you seen Klaus?"

"Right there." Tyler points down another flight of stairs. I look to where he's pointing and see Niklaus. He's talking with Caroline. I watch as they walk away together. Klaus has his hand lightly on the small of her back. The pang I feel in my gut can only be described as jealousy.

"Did you come here with him?" Tyler turns back to me.

"Yes. I promised him one date." I explain, leaving out the part about the hybrid.

"You know that he's into Caroline, right?" Tyler asks me.

"Of course." I lie. I shake off what I just saw. "I'm going inside."

"Are you okay, Em?" Tyler touches my arm.

"I'm fine. I just need to get something to drink." I smile sweetly. I head back inside the house and find something to drink quickly. I keep moving through the rooms. When I see Damon, I walk up to him and grab his attention.

"You knew the whole time, didn't you?" I cross my arms over my chest.

"Knew what?" Damon drinks out of the cup he's holding.

"How my friend Mishelle died. You realized that she died because Finn did the day I told you was dead. And you didn't tell me." I meet his deep blue eyes.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't know if I would do it…" He starts.

"Do it right? What is with people in this town? If you have something you know I should be aware of, just tell me. Don't worry about telling me the right way." I explain before walking off.

"Emerson, have you seen my brother?" Damon calls after me.

"Why are you asking me?" I turn back to him.

"I know that you've been spending the last few days with him."

"I don't know where he is." I cover up for Stefan who probably doesn't want to be found at the moment

"You're lying." Damon smiles at me. He takes a step closer to intimidate the truth out of me. I hold my ground while he takes two more steps to the point where only a piece of paper could fit between us.

"I'm not. But even if I did why would I tell you?"

"When I talked to him this morning, he seemed a little stressed. I just want to make sure he's okay."

"He's fine. But why do you care? You have a shot with Elena. Isn't that what you've been waiting for?" I question him.

"That's beside the point." Damon waves it off.

"Is it? Elena might have to decide who she is in love with. But you have to decide whether getting the girl is worth loosing your brother, probably the only person who will truly care for you." One side of my lips moves up in a half smile.

"You're right. But right now all I want to do is get through today without anybody dying." Damon offers his arm. "Do you want to go watch the court introductions?"

I hesitate but take his arm. Damon leads me towards the lawn where the court is lined up. Caroline takes to the stage and starts the introductions. I watch girl after girl walk down to meet their escort as Caroline reads of their names. Damon is obviously watching Elena. He steals a couple of glances at her every couple of seconds.

"Hello, love. Where have you been?" Niklaus walks up beside me. I look at him for a second before returning my attention to the girls.

"I was only gone for a few minutes but when I returned I saw that you and Caroline were talking. So I went to get myself something to drink." I hold up my cup but keep my eyes on the court.

"Caroline and I are just friends." Klaus smiles.

"I know you fancy her. And I can't lecture you on how it's wrong to fancy two people at one time because I do. But I would never flirt with Elijah while you and I were on a date." I whisper just low enough for us to hear.

"I thought you might have run off on me." Niklaus explains. I look at him, a bit insulted.

"I told you I'd go on this date." I turn back to April meeting Matt at the bottom of the stone steps. "And I always keep my word."

The girls and their escorts start the normal dance. Damon departs from us as the dance continues and joins a concern looking Elena and Caroline. I can tell that their discussion is starting to get heated. My phone buzzes in my purse. I pull it out and read the text from Stefan. I bite my lip as Niklaus starts towards Damon, Elena, and Caroline. He turns back to me.

"Are you coming, love?" He offers a hand.

"No. Go ahead. I have to go help a friend." I explain before walking away. I hate that I have to leave Klaus again but Stefan is in more need of my attention. I run back to the Lockwood cellar but with shoes in tow this time. When I see Stefan crouched over in the corner I run to his side.

"Thanks for coming." Stefan smiles. He removes his hand from his stomach and I see the stake sticking out.

"No problem. On the count of three, okay? One, two…" I pull out the stake. Stefan winces but the wound starts to heal immediately. I help him off the floor.

"Who did this?" I drop the stake on the floor.

"Jeremy. His urge to kill vampires grows along with his mark." Stefan runs his fingers over the healed wound. "Oh. He also can no longer be compelled."

"Great. We have an untamable vampire hunter on the loose." I shake my head.

"We have to find him before he finds Elena." Stefan grabs the stake off the floor and starts out of the cellar.

"Hopefully we're not too late." I follow him back to the house. We split up once we get into the house. We might be able to find Jeremy faster.

"Have you seen Jeremy Gilbert?" I ask April Young as she walks by. I notice the small crown on her head.

"Yes. I think he went to talk to his sister or something." April looks around with a smile. I nod.

"Congratulations by the way." I gesture to the crown as I walk away.

"Thanks." I catch April say as I leave the room.

I practically run room to room looking for Jeremy or Elena. I'm about to give up but as I walk past a glass window looking into a small parlor I catch a glimpse of Jeremy and Elena. I put my hand on the doorknob.

"Have you found them?" Stefan asks as he comes up behind me. I put a finger to my lips and gesture to the room.

"I'll get Jeremy, you help Elena." Stefan nods in response.

I open the door and use my vampire speed to grab Jeremy. I push him against a wall and restrain his arms at his side. He looks angrily at me. I look over my shoulder at Stefan and Elena. I can see the stake sticking out of her neck. I turn back to Jeremy. Matt helps me get him out of the house and into Matt's car. I watch Matt drive away. When I go back inside the room, Elena and Stefan are already gone. I curse under my breath. The backyard and house are starting to empty, the guest probably getting tired. I sit down on the stone steps in the backyard.

"Why the long face, love?" Niklaus sits down next to me.

"Nothing. Just tired is all." I fake a smile. A strong gush of wind causes me to shiver. Niklaus removes his jacket and places it over my shoulders. I thank him silently.

"Why don't you tell me what's really been going on today?" Niklaus looks at me. I tell him almost everything from Stefan finding another vampire to sacrifice to Jeremy nearly killing his sister.

"Today has been quite entertaining, I must admit." Niklaus chuckles after I finish.

"What about you? What is going on between you and Caroline?" I question.

"You are right. I do fancy her… but not as much as I fancy you, love." Klaus takes my hand in his.

"Can you just take me home?" I stand from the steps. Niklaus stands up with me and we walk to his car, hand in hand. He opens the passenger side door for me and I slip in quietly.

"Did Kol contact you?" Niklaus asks me as he drives.

"No. Why?" I keep my eyes on the houses we pass.

"My brothers and I have decided it is best to try to start being a family again. The first step in doing that is having them come live with me. Kol has already moved his belongings into my house." Klaus pauses. "You are welcomed to join us any time you like."

"Thank you for the offer. But no thanks. I'm good at my home, alone." I bite my lip. We don't talk the rest of the way to my house. He walks me to my door when we arrive at my house.

"This wasn't the amazing date I had in mind." Niklaus pauses when we reach the door. "Maybe we can try again sometime."

"The deal only promised one date, Klaus. And if today is any preview on how this is going to be from now on, I'd have to pass on that offer." I purse my lips when Klaus' face falls. I pull his jacket off my shoulders and hand it back to him. "But we'll see."

"Good night, love." Niklaus kisses me lightly on the cheek.

"Good night, Nik." I say the nickname I rarely use. "And thank you for trying."

"I wont stop trying to get you to agree to another date." Niklaus informs me as he descends the stairs.

"Good night, Niklaus." I repeat and shut the front door behind me.

I wait to hear the car drive away to let out a sigh of relief. I go to the kitchen and pull the blood bag I had packed out of my purse. I pour it into a cup and sit down in the living room. I half expect Kol to come down the stairs with some witty comment but he doesn't. I finish my dinner and go upstairs to change into something more comfy. I return to the living room in time to answer a call from Stefan.

"Where the hell did you go? You just left me at the Lockwood's with no idea of what was happening." I tell him angrily.

"Elena is fine. She moved out of her house so she wouldn't have to worry about Jeremy killing her in her sleep. Matt is going to keep an eye on him while she's gone." Stefan explains.

"Where is Elena going to stay?" I ask him. I already have a feeling I know the answer but I ask anyways. I pour myself a small glass of scotch and sit back on the couch.

"That's what I'm calling you about. She's going to be sleeping at the boarding house and I can't be around her right now so I was wondering if I could crash at your place for a while." Stefan waits for my answer. I bite my lip and try to think of a reason to say no.

"Sure. When are you going to be here?" I take a drink from my glass.

"I already am." Stefan answers. I swallow the scotch and place the glass on the table. I walk to the front door and open it. Stefan is standing with on my front steps with a backpack.

"Come on in." I gesture into the house. He walks inside and follows me to the living room.

"You can choose any room, except mine." I sit on the couch. Stefan sits down next to me.

"Thank you for letting me stay here. I just couldn't handle facing Elena everyday in my own home."

"Did you two finally talk?" I pour myself another glass of scotch and I pour Stefan one.

"Yes. She basically told me to move on." Stefan shrugs and takes the glass.

"She's confused. She's trying to do the best thing to keep from hurting you; she's trying to distance herself." I sit back in the couch. The doorbell catches me off guard. Caroline is standing in front of me when I answer the door.

"Stefan told me he was here." She holds up a bottle of vodka. "I thought we all could use some cheering up."

"Come on in." I smile and take the bottle. We walk into the living room together. "Look who showed up with the party favors."

We sit down and pour a shot. We each take a couple of drinks and start a light conversation about the events that had occurred today.

"It was a bust. Elena isn't the same girl anymore. The only chance we have at getting the old Elena back is that stupid cure." Caroline shakes her head.

"Elena's right. I just- I need to let go." Stefan speaks up.

"No, you're right, Stefan. It's not pretty and it's not easy, but you can't give up on her." I tell him.

"She looked me in the eye and told me to move on." Stefan recalls.

"She's lost. Okay, you and her, epic. Her and Damon, ugh, God. There's something wrong with her. Just promise me you wont stop looking for the cure." Caroline turns to Stefan.

"Klaus won't let me even if I wanted to." Stefan pours himself another shot.

"Why does he care? He doesn't even want it." Caroline leans back in her chair.

"He wants to keep Elena human so he can make more hybrids." I shrug.

"He's going to need them. Tyler's got almost all of them unsired." Caroline sighs. After a second of silence she sits up. "Oh my god."

"Oh. My. God." Caroline repeats. I share a look with Stefan. Caroline stands up with a shocked look on her face.

"I was trying to figure out why Klaus was so intrigued by Damon and Elena. He said I would figure it out. This is what he was talking about." Caroline starts to pace.

"What are you talking about?" I ask her.

"Think about it. Every time Elena's had a problem, Damon's been the magic solution." Caroline tells us. "Today, Elena was worried about Jeremy. Who swoops in and tells her to relax? Damon. And she listens"

I can tell that both Stefan and I are still confused.

"When Elena started feeding, who said that she could only drink blood straight from the vein?" Caroline asks us.

"Damon." Stefan says knowingly.

"And when she tried to drink from animals?"

"She couldn't keep it down." Stefan answers.

"And blood bags?"

"Same thing." Stefan nods his head. I understand what Caroline is trying to get across.

"Name one vampire in the history of vampires that couldn't drink blood from a blood bag. Damon said she couldn't, so she couldn't." I put the pieces together.

"Damon likes the red dress. Elena likes the red dress." Caroline points out.

"Damon says kill Connor and she kills Connor." Stefan adds.

"What if it's possible? Damon's blood made her a vampire, didn't it?" Caroline slows down her pacing. Both Stefan and I look at her.

"It's rare. But it happens." I agree.

"What if this is one of those times? What if this is really happening?" Caroline sits down in her chair.

"Elena's sired to Damon." I lean forward. Only in Mystic Falls would a scenario like this actually take place.

****Sorry this chapter took a while. It was a really hard one to write and the longest one to date. I apologize for the length. The scenes were all over the place so I tried to fit in Emerson where I could without it being weird and i did have to change a few things. I hope you enjoyed reading. Please review. I am requesting at least ****two**** reviews before I update again. Next chapter will probably cover "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street" (4x8) or I might do a fun filler chapter. Anyways, thank you for reading and remember to review. I love reading your thoughts, opinions, and suggestions.**


	14. We'll Always Have Bourbon Street

****So. I'm considering this a filler chapter of sorts because there are no Originals involved in it. It will mainly focus on Emerson's friendships with the Scooby gang. The next chapter will definitely have some Emerson/Original action though.**

**Disclaimer: _I Do Not Own Anything But My OC._**

**We'll Always Have Bourbon Street**

**~1523~**

_I lean against the brick wall and wait for Robert to finish his dinner. The young girl is already limp in his arms but I can tell that she is still alive. It's his choice on whether or not he wants to kill her. A noise at the opening of the alleyway causes me to push myself off the wall. I walk towards the street where people are enjoying their night. When I see the man who the girl had been with when Robert snatched her standing outside the pub I walk back into the alley. I tap Robert's shoulder with one finger. He looks up at me with his big brown eyes. I brush a piece of his dark brown hair out of his eyes. I smile down at him._

_"It's time to go." I tell him. Robert doesn't hesitate for one second. He obediently stands up and starts out of the alley. I kneel down next to the unconscious girl. I make her look into my eyes and compel her to forget everything that had happened. She nods weakly and I settle her head back on the concrete floor._

_"Where do you want to go next? The hotel on the corner of Hilary and Napoleon?" Robert asks as he tries to walk out of the alley. I grab his arm and pull him back in._

_"Wait. You have blood dripping down your face." He waits patiently as I wipe the rest of his dinner of his chin. He's still a new vampire and has yet to learn how to clean up after he feeds._

_"So, where to?" Robert offers his arm before we step out onto the dirt street. I take it._

_"Aren't you getting full? Do you just want to go home and call it a night?" I ask him. He looks at me with a questionable look._

_"I don't know. Do you?" Robert's eyes widen._

_"Kind of." I shrug. "But if you want to keep going, then we can."_

_"I want to go home." Robert shakes his head. He turns around and starts to lead me back to my small house. When we get home we go straight to bed._

_I had met Robert only a few months earlier. Living in England had been a lot of fun but I know having someone to share my experiences with would make it a lot more entertaining. Even though I only thought of him as a friend, he was smitten with me from the first day we met. He told me that he would follow me everywhere I went. I wanted a companion so I turned him only a couple of weeks ago. I've realized that since I turned him, he's been very compliant. He says he's just committed to our relationship but I know it's something more than that._

_A couple of weeks go by and Robert's behavior starts to get on my nerves. One night I get tired of just being around him all the time and tell him to stay home while I go out. I go to a small restaurant and order a drink. The place is almost empty since it's not yet dinnertime. I sit by myself at a table and enjoy the silence as I drink. A dark haired man, looking only a few years older than me, sits down across from me. A smile forms on his lips and I scoff._

_"Hello, gorgeous." He says just above a whisper. His light blue eyes meet mine for a second. He is obviously very handsome._

_"Hello." I respond looking away from him. I don't want to be tempted to drink right now since I already fed twice today._

_"Are you here alone? A gorgeous girl like you, I couldn't imagine it." The man shakes his head. I roll my eyes but I can't help notice the feeling in my stomach._

_"My boyfriend stayed home." I explain._

_"I'm Oswald Herbold." He pauses. "But you can call me Ossie."_

_"It's nice to meet you." I nod my head half-heartedly._

_"And what is your name?"_

_"Emerson MacIntyre." I don't bother using a false name._

_"A beautiful name to match a beautiful girl." Ossie smiles. I can't deny that he is very charming._

_"Thank you. But I must be going. I have to get home to my boyfriend." I dip my head and stand from the table. I leave a tip on the table for the waiter. I duck out of the restaurant quickly trying to avoid the appealing man I just met._

_"I know what you are." I turn to see Ossie leaning against the wall behind me. "I can't hear your heart. Which can only mean one thing; you are a vampire."_

_"You know nothing." I spit and continue walking. Ossie blocks my way. I know that the only way he could have gotten in front of me so fast was to use vampire speed._

_"I know everything. You probably have quite a sob story behind that pretty face of yours. And I would love to hear it sometime. But I can tell that all you're truly looking for is a good time. And maybe a fresh meal." Ossie raises an eyebrow. I swallow the urge to rip out his throat._

_"Do you want to get a drink?" I ask him. He smiles and nods. I take the arm he extends and we walk down the street together. I really do not want to go home to Robert yet._

_"So, do you wish to share your life story?" Ossie asks after a few drinks at the restaurant we had just left. His eyes meet mine and I almost feel the need to tell him everything about my life._

_"How about you tell me yours first." I look at him. He smiles and opens his mouth to start his story._

_Ossie Herbold was born into a family of peasants only fifty years ago. He was turned almost by accident at the young age of twenty-one. He's been on his own since with the exception of a few woman companions that he always ended up killing. His troubled childhood caused me to feel bad for him. His father killed his mother right in front of Ossie's eyes when he suspected her of committing adultery. His father continuously beat Ossie through his childhood because of the resemblance to his mother. He left his father on his deathbed to voyage from Russia to England. That is when he got turned. My guilt faded when he started talking about how many people he had murdered in cold blood. I could tell he didn't feel any remorse._

_"What about you?" Ossie looks at me. I hesitate to start but since he trusted me with his past the least I could do is trust him with most of mine._

_I tell him about most of what had happened in my life so far, leaving out the part about loving Elijah. Ossie sat there patiently on the wooden chair next to me not saying a word until I finished. When he finally looked up at me, I could see that he understood how I was feeling: lonely and unwanted._

_"Have you heard about flipping the switch?" Ossie asks me in a low voice. I shake my head timidly and his eyes dart around for a second like what he's about to tell me is a government secret._

_"Flipping the switch is another way of saying turning off your emotions. It's one of the perks of being a vampire." Ossie pauses. "I'm surprised you haven't heard about it yet."_

_"What happens when you… flip the switch?" I'm curious._

_"No emotions. You don't feel sad or lonely or angry or regret. You don't feel at all. It can be quite amazing." Ossie smiles. I purse my lips._

_"How do you do it?"_

_"You just have to want to turn them off. Think it and it'll happen." Ossie shrugs._

_"I should go. Robert will be waiting for me." I stand from the seat. "Probably in the exact same spot as where I left him."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"He does everything I do. Doesn't question it, just does it. It's kind of like he's my slave or something." I explain. I pull on my long coat over my dress and pull on my gloves._

_"Slave? Are you sure?"_

_"Well, he's not really one. He just acts like it." I shrug. Ossie stands up and walks out of the restaurant with me._

_"He's probably sired to you. Forever grateful for you turning him so you can spend the rest of your unending lives together.." Oswald puts his arm around my shoulder._

_"Sired? How do you stop someone from being sired?"_

_"One of my vampire friends had this happen to him. He consulted a witch and asked the same question. She informed him that there is no way to stop from someone being sired. He ended up killing the girl who was sired to him to forever end the sire bond." Ossie tells me._

_"He killed her?"_

_"He was getting tired of her following him around everywhere." Ossie looks at me when I don't respond. "Robert does the same thing, right? And you are getting sick of it too?"_

_"Yes. But I don't want to kill him." I shake my head. "I just want him to stop."_

_"This is me." Ossie gestures to the building to our left. I nod._

_"Thank you for the drinks."_

_"No problem." He smiles and takes my hand in his. He kisses the top of it lightly and meets my eyes. "And if you ever want to try flipping the switch, you know where to find me."_

_"Thank you but I doubt I would…" I start. He leans in quickly and kisses me on the lips. I'm taken aback by his sudden move but I kiss him back willingly._

_"Just in case I never see you again." He winks and walks up the steps to the building and disappears inside._

_I take a second to compose myself. The butterflies in my stomach are going crazy. Ossie is obviously attractive and understands what I'm feeling. As I walk home from his home, I think about whether or not I would actually want to turn off my emotions. When I enter my house I see that Robert, like I expected, is sitting at the kitchen table, doing exactly what I had told him to do. I sit down next to him and avoid answering his questions. As I get into bed next to Robert, I realize he isn't who I want to be with tonight. I fall asleep not sure of what might be occurring in the next couple weeks. I just want to be happy._

**~2010~**

Caroline, Stefan, and I crashed on the couch after Caroline convinced us that Elena must be sired. A text message wakes me up before everyone else. I get up slowly as not to wake up Stefan who I was leaning against. I go to the kitchen and open the text message from Tyler. He asks me if Caroline is with me and I text him back quickly telling him that she slept over. I go down to the basement and get out three blood bags. I pour them into three separate glasses and carry them over to the coffee table. I kick Stefan's leg jolting him awake. He rubs his eyes and stretches his arms out. I hand him the glass of blood and he takes it happily. I do the same to Caroline. We don't talk much until after we finish drinking our breakfast. I help Stefan fold the blankets I had brought down. Caroline puts our glasses in the sink and joins us in the living room. She leans against the wall and sighs. I share a look with Stefan.

"This is a disaster!" Caroline exclaims. I throw the last blanket down on the couch.

"Look, we don't know anything for sure." Stefan says.

"Yes we do! Elena is sired to Damon! Which means her one singular desire is to make him happy, just like Klaus and his hybrids." Caroline argues.

"No, it's not. A vampire sired to a vampire is one in a million. Maybe it wont affect her the same." Stefan says. I bite my tongue about my past experience with the sire bond.

"We already know it's affecting her. She's become Damon's lapdog." Stefan throws Caroline a look and I sit on the couch. "It's true! Everything he says, she agrees with. Everything he asks her to do… she does."

"We need to do something." Caroline says after a pause. She pulls out her phone.

"Wait, no, hold on Caroline. This isn't gossip. We can't just drop this on her before we know what's happening for sure." Stefan stops Caroline from calling Elena.

"I need to talk to Tyler, okay? Maybe he'll know what to do." Caroline pulls out her phone again.

"Alright, talk to Tyler but please don't tell anyone else. If this is true, it may have influence on Elena's every action and emotion since she became a vampire." Stefan says. Caroline says a quick goodbye before leaving the house. Stefan sits down next to me on the couch.

"You didn't say anything during that whole conversation. Are you okay?" Stefan asks me. I purse my lips before answering.

"I can trust you right?"

"Of course." Stefan nods.

"I don't like to talk about it and I won't go into detail but I had a personal experience with the vampire sire bond." I admit. Stefan throws me a questionable look.

"What happened?"

"I can't talk about it. It was a bad time and I don't like to think about it." I shake my head.

"It was during your ripper years, wasn't it?" Stefan puts a hand on mine.

"Yes. He was… I didn't… can we just drop it?" I pull my hand away from his and stand up "Are we going to school?"

"I don't know. I need to talk to my brother." Stefan stands as well and looks at me with pleading eyes. "And I think it would help if you came with."

"Stefan, I don't think I can help you much…"

"You wont have to if you don't want to. I want you there though. You could probably explain it better than I can." Stefan waits for my answer.

"Fine. But you take the lead on telling him." I point a finger at him. Stefan nods his head agreeing with me. I go upstairs and change quickly in my room while Stefan changes in his temporary one. We meet in the foyer twenty minutes later. I grab the keys to the Chevy and walk out the door. Stefan doesn't object to me driving.

When we get to his house I park slightly to the right in the wrap around driveway. I walk side by side with Stefan to the front door. I can tell he's nervous that Elena might be there so I take the lead. Surprisingly Elena opens the front door right as I start to reach for the doorknob. I wait for Stefan to greet his ex girlfriend but he doesn't.

"Hey." Elena smiles lightly.

"Hey." I wave awkwardly when Stefan doesn't respond.

"See you in history?" Elena asks. I look back at Stefan.

"Yeah." Stefan answers. Elena steps past us, obviously avoiding eye contact with Stefan. When she's gone he steps past me and into the house. I follow on his heels and close the front door behind me.

"What's she doing here?" Damon gestures to me as he steps back from the door. "Don't tell me you two are all buddy buddy?"

"We're friends. And she's here to help." Stefan pauses and sticks his hands into his pockets. "Listen, we need to talk."

Stefan does great. He manages to explain what Caroline had figured out about the sire bond. Damon remains quiet the entire time but I can see that he does not believe a word that is coming out of his baby brother's mouth. When Stefan finishes he joins me on the couch. Damon sits on the one opposite us with sarcastic smile forming on his lips.

"Sired? Really Stefan? That is the most pathetic nonsense I've ever heard come out of your mouth, and you've said some crap in your day." Damon chuckles.

"It was your blood that turned her, right? I mean she's been different from day one because of you. You can't deny that." Stefan leans forward.

"Sure I can. I finally got Elena to a good place about being a vampire. You two idiots can't stand that she's happy because of me."

"All right. You know what? Prove us wrong. Tell her it's OK to drink from a blood bag." I speak up finally. Damon meets my eyes.

"She can't. Her weird doppelganger body rejected the blood from the bag." Damon argues.

"Right, because you told her to. You said she had to drink warm human blood straight from the vein. She almost died to make you happy." Damon doesn't believe what Stefan is saying.

"Look, just ask her to drink from a blood bag. Make sure you'll tell her how happy you'll be if it works, and if I'm wrong, I'll be the first to apologize." I promise.

"When her body rejects this blood, which it will, your apology better be epic." Damon gets up from the couch and walks away. Stefan sighs and looks at me.

"Do you think it will work?" He asks me.

"Yes. But I don't think Damon will believe it until Elena actually drinks from the blood bag." I lean back into the couch.

"What can you tell me about the sire bond?" Stefan leans back as well. I purse my lips thinking.

"I didn't even know about it until Robert. He was a great guy, a great friend. He thought we were meant to be together but I didn't think of him like that. I was lonely and lost though so I turned him when he asked me to. At first I just thought he was in the honeymoon phase. Robert did everything I asked, wanted to be around me all the time. I enjoyed the attention for the first couple of months but then it got annoying. Then someone finally filled me in on the sire bond." I explain.

"What did they tell you?"

"He… I… don't remember." I lie.

"Are you lying?"

"I don't know if my informant was telling the truth. I don't want you to dwell on something that ends up being a lie, Stefan." I keep my eyes on my hands in my lap.

Stefan let's us drop the topic. After sitting in silence for several minutes Stefan mutters that we probably won't be going to school today. I laugh and tell him that I had figured as much. I help Stefan make a simple breakfast in the large kitchen. I had studied cooking in the nineties.

"So, how long is it going to take to get you back to school?" I ask Stefan. He looks up for a second before returning his attention to his food.

"I just don't feel like sitting in the same room as Elena for hours knowing that she has feelings for my brother." Stefan shrugs as he piles a fork load of food into his mouth.

"You know that she still has feelings for you. And you still have feelings for you. It's just now there's a random ace thrown into the mix." I put a reassuring hand on his.

"It won't ever be the same again, even if she does end up going back to her old human self." Stefan sighs.

"Well, lets just try to get her back to her old self. Then we can worry about who she loves." I suggest.

"Are you going to let Matt move back in once all this is over?" Stefan questions as we stand from the table and move into the living room.

"Um… I don't know. I value his friendship so much and I don't want him to get hurt. And while I'm mostly afraid that Kol or Klaus might hurt him, I'm also afraid that I might as well."

"You wouldn't hurt him, you know that." Stefan assures me.

"I just found out that Matt didn't only kill Finn, he killed my best friend. She dropped dead all of a sudden and I didn't know what to think. Niklaus told me that because she came from his line, she perished when he did." I explain. Stefan meets my eyes.

"Have you told Matt about this yet?"

"No. And I'm not planning to. I just want to forget about it." I shrug and continue eating.

"You can't let this kind of thing…" Stefan starts but the sound of his phone cuts him off. I hear Caroline's voice the second Stefan says hello.

"I talked to Tyler." She informs him.

"And?" Stefan holds the phone between our ears.

"The sire bond exists because the hybrids are grateful to Klaus for relieving them from the pain of having to wolf out every full moon, and that's why they have to turn until they're not ruled by the pain anymore." Caroline says quickly.

"Right, but Elena's not a werewolf so what's the vampire equivalent?" Stefan asks her.

"Well, that's the problem. There isn't one." Caroline whispers. I can hear the sympathy in her voice. Stefan doesn't respond and hangs up the phone without saying goodbye. We both hear noises in the other room and I suspect that Damon is home. Stefan leads the way into the library.

"What are you doing?" I ask Damon who is rummaging through old papers.

"Elena is sired. You were right, I was wrong. Happy?" Damon looks up from the boxes for a second.

"No, I'm not happy. But what are we going to do about it?" Stefan asks his brother.

"Well, I'm working on it. Here." Damon holds a picture up for us Stefan to see. "Remember that?"

"New Orleans." Stefan answers as he takes the picture from Damon and looks at it.

"1942, to be exact." Damon glances over the papers still surrounding him.

"What was in New Orleans in 1942?" I ask looking at the picture. I sit down with Stefan on the couch.

"Other than bourbon and beads…" Damon turns to his brother. "Us, Stefan."

"Oh yeah." Stefan picks up a stray hat off the ground. "What was the name of that girl you used to hang out with?"

"That was no ordinary girl. That was Charlotte." Damon smirks. "She was crazy about me from the minute we met. So, of course, when she asked me to turn her, I did."

Damon tells us about how he started noticing that she took the things he told her too literal. I gulp down my own story about Robert and listen to Damon tell his story. Charlotte was apparently very beautiful but her bite was worse than her bark. She did whatever Damon asked of her no matter what it was, just like Robert had. One night Charlotte killed a sailor after he accidentally tipped over Damon's drink since he had told her to show no mercy if someone touched it.

"That was my first clue." Damon mutters when he finishes.

"She was sire to you, and I can only assume you took full advantage of that until you got bored of her, right?" Stefan crosses his arms over his chest knowingly.

"More like when she went all "Fatal Attraction" on me, then I had to make a clean break." Damon continues to search for something.

"How'd you do that?" I ask curious as to what his method was.

"Ah, phew, here." Damon stands up and hands the paper he's been looking for to Stefan. Stefan takes it and reads it before handing it to me. My eyes skim over the words written on the thin paper.

_**Valerie LaMarche, 920 Dauphine St.**_

"Who's Valerie LaMarche?" Stefan questions his brother.

"The witch I found to help me break little Charlotte's sire bond." Damon takes a swig of his drink before standing up. "Pack your bags, baby bro. We're going back to Bourban Street."

"You have to come with us." Stefan turns to me as his brother leaves the room.

"No, I don't. This experience could be good for the two of you. You could get the brother bonding time you need." I tilt my head to the side, knowing that I'm right.

"I can't go on a road trip with him right now. Not alone. And plus you have had experience with the bond yourself, you could be of use." Stefan tries to convince me.

"Stefan, Damon probably won't even let me get into the car with you." I meet his eyes. "You don't need me."

"If you're not going, I'm not either." Stefan announces.

"Fine. I'll go. But on one condition." One side of my mouth turns up in a smirk.

"What is it?" Stefan looks slightly worried.

"I get to ride shot gun." I await his answer.

"All right. We better get packing then." Stefan stands up. I walk next to him out of the house.

I drive us back to my house and pack one bag of clothes. I don't know how long we plan on staying in New Orleans so I pack for three days. Stefan is already waiting in the kitchen when I get downstairs. I run down to the basement and pack only a couple of blood bags. Knowing myself, I will probably take advantage of being in a different state. Stefan phone buzzes in his pocket and when he looks at the text he tells me that Damon is here. I pull my backpack onto my shoulders, shove my phone into my pocket along with my keys and follow Stefan out of the house. I can hear Damon chuckle as I lock up my house.

"Little Original isn't coming." Damon says as he leans against his car. I cock an eyebrow.

"Yes she is. And she's riding shotgun." Stefan tells his brother. I can't help but smile when I see Damon's fade.

"No she isn't." Damon contests.

"If she isn't coming, then neither am I." Stefan meets his brother at the bottom step. I stop a couple steps up.

"Fine. Get inside Little Original." Damon says after a couple second stare down with his brother. He opens the car door and Stefan slips inside first. After I sit, he closes the door and walks around to the driver's side.

"Buckle up, kids. I'm pretty sure it's going to be a bumpy ride." Damon tells us as he pulls out of my driveway.

Damon was right to a degree. Stefan and his brother fight only twice but I manage to keep their attention focused on our game plan most of the time. The radio comes in handy for there are a couple of elongated silences that gets filled with music. Damon drives the entire way despite my offer to take the reigns. I can tell that he isn't the type of person to trust his car in the hands of another person or vampire. It doesn't take as long as I expect to get to New Orleans. Damon had made reservations at a small hotel for only two people. I pay for a separate room and we drop our stuff off. Damon leads us out of the hotel and onto the busied streets towards where his helpful witch is. Or where he thinks she is. Music reaches my ears the second we step onto the street. People crowd the sidewalks up and down the street. Stefan and I match pace a couple steps behind Damon.

"Well, the city is the same. Just brighter." Stefan says as he takes in his surroundings.

"Have you been back here since '42?" Damon asks his brother. Stefan shakes his head.

"Nope, not since I shipped off to join the war effort and you didn't." Stefan responds. I don't bother asking what had happened between them in 1942.

"Somebody had to entertain the ladies who had been left by their men folk." Damon's cell phone rings and he takes it out looking at it. "Hey, good news. Elena is at the house with the girls where she can't get in trouble. Bad news – I think they got into the dom. Told her to make herself at home."

"Yeah, you told her so she does, right?" Stefan walks ahead of Damon and turns back to look at his brother. I stop beside Damon.

"Sire bond is not that literal, Stefan." Damon scoffs.

"Really? Name one thing that you've asked her to do that you haven't gotten, huh?" Stefan asks. Damon looks up at him.

"Let's not do this now, you guys." I step between the brothers.

"You know what I haven't gotten? Blame, guilt. I get it Stefan. I get that your pissed that Elena dumped you because she has feelings for me. Bet you blame the sire bond for that, too." Damon walks past his brother. Stefan shakes his head and follows Damon. I jog to catch up with them.

"Yeah, you know what? I absolutely do." Stefan confirms where he puts the blame.

"Why, because it's impossible to think she could have feelings for me?" Damon keeps walking.

"No, because it's impossible for her to be so blind that she doesn't see how wrong you are for her." Stefan says loud enough for Damon to hear. His older brother turns and meets his eyes for a couple of seconds before walking away again.

"Apologize." I push Stefan's arm lightly.

"Hey, wait, Damon, I'm sorry." Stefan apologizes. Damon turns to face Stefan.

"What'd you say?" Damon asks his brother.

"I apologize, all right? As much as I hate this sire bond thing, I shouldn't take it out on you. It's not really your fault." Stefan explains. I feel proud of my friend.

"Well, don't get all warn and fuzzy on me yet." Damon smiles lightly.

"Was it always like this with you two?" I ask sarcastically. Stefan smiles while Damon stops walking and takes a look at the apartment building in front of us.

"It's where the witch lived." Damon mutters.

"What, you weren't expecting to find the same exact witch in the same place?" I look at the brick building. It couldn't have been built that long ago.

"No, but since I couldn't remember where the store was, figured it'd give us a start." Damon shrugs. He rubs the back of his neck.

"Maybe there's another place to start. You think Charlotte might be in New Orleans?" Stefan looks to his brother.

"Yeah, maybe." Damon shrugs.

"Where was the last place you saw her?" I cross my arms over my chest.

"Corner of Bourbon and Dumaine. Kind of told her to count every brick in every building in New Orleans, and I'd meet her at the corner." Damon pauses. "I was gone by morning."

I smile at the oldest Salvatore and start towards the two named streets. Stefan falls into step next to me without questions. He either knows what I'm thinking or he trusts me.

"Where are you going, Little Original?" Damon stands his ground.

"Corner of Bourbon and Dumaine." I answer without breaking a step.

"See how literal the sire bond is." Stefan adds. I can hear Damon come after us.

We walk down several streets and pass several drunkards until we get to the right street. We stop on the corner and take in our surroundings. These two streets are almost completely empty compared to a few we've been on.

"There's no way she's going to be in the same spot after seventy years." Damon chuckles.

"So, what are we going to tell Elena?" Stefan asks.

"I was hoping we wouldn't have to tell her anything." Damon shrugs in response

"Well, we can't just lie to her." Stefan scoffs.

"It's not a lie. It's an omission for the greater good." Damon corrects..

"Oh, I see. I see. That's Damon speak for 'let's not do the right thing, lets just do what's right for me'" Stefan steps towards his brother. I stand next to him and hold his arm, hoping to stop him from advancing again.

"Seriously? Can you guys go half an hour without bickering about Elena." I sigh loudly. Damon ignores me.

"Oh, what about you, O selfless one? Are you doing what's best for Elena or what's best for you? Because it looks to me like the only reason you want to break Elena's sire bond is to restore her original factory 'Team Stefan' settings." Damon pauses. The brothers stare each other down for a minute. "I'm going to go get a drink. Hunt me down when you stop being a dick."

"Come on, Stefan. We aren't going to get anywhere if you guys cannot get along for two seconds." I hug my elbows close to my chest. Damon continues to walk away and rounds the corner.

"I know. He just brings out the…" Stefan starts. Both of us turn our attention to where Damon disappeared when we hear a noise. I speed around the corner and waste no time pulling the unknown vampire off of Damon. Stefan approaches the vampire that is now lying on the floor several feet down the street.

"What the hell just happened?" Stefan looks between the vampire and his brother.

"She kissed me." Damon says as I pull him off the floor. He brushes himself off as he stands up. The vampire gets up as well.

"Damon, I always knew you'd come back for me. I must have counted literally every brick on every building in all of New Orleans." The vampire smiles at Damon. I suspect that she is the infamous Charlotte.

"Literally every brick?" Stefan asks, horrified. I look at Damon who is wearing a face of shock. Charlotte moves past Stefan and towards Damon. She wraps her arm around his neck, but Damon tries to back away from her. I'm not sure if I should help him get away from her or just enjoy the awkward moment.

"Uh, Charlotte, uh. Ha." Damon pats her arm and pulls away. "Please tell me you had a full life and you've done something other than counting bricks."

"Of course I have, I'm not crazy." Charlotte smiles. Damon shakes his head, as if agreeing with her.

"Then why are you still here?" Stefan asks the same question that popped into my mind. Charlotte looks back at Stefan.

"You know when someone breaks up with you and there's a song that reminds you of them. First, you hate it" Charlotte places a hand on Damon's shoulder and caresses it. "But then it brings back all the good memories of them. Counting the bricks is my song and I've been playing it for decades."

"That's a really long time stuck listening to the same song." I say dryly. Charlotte looks at me for a second before placing her arms back around Damon's neck.

"Are you two seeing each other?" Charlotte leans into Damon but keeps looking at me. I almost puke on the sidewalk.

"Me and Damon? Hell…" I start.

"Yes. Yes we are and happily so." Damon grabs Charlotte's hands from around his neck and pulls them away. He takes a side step towards me and slips his arm around my waist. I bite my tongue to keep myself from elbowing him as hard as I can in the ribs.

"How long has it been?" Charlotte leans back and crosses her arms over her chest. Her lips pucker like she just ate something sour and I can tell she's not happy.

"Two marvelous years." Damon pauses. "Right, babe?"

"Oh, yeah. The best years of my life." I force out the words and add on a smile. Stefan holds his hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing.

"If you are so happily taken, then why did you come back for me?" Charlotte whines. I roll my eyes and shift my weight towards Damon. He squeezes my waist a little tighter. I know he'd rather have me explain this whole situation to his crazy ex girlfriend.

"Well, we are here to visit an old friend. But we need to find her first and Damon thought you could help since you probably know this town so well." I smile sweetly.

"And I would really appreciate if you could help us out." Damon tells Charlotte. She seems hesitant but nods her head. Stefan feeds her the information that he knows. Charlotte takes a minute but a look of recognition appears on her face. She tells us the address of the shop.

"Thank you, Charlotte." Damon smiles quickly and pulls me away with him.

"Wait! How did you guys meet?" Charlotte calls after us. I sigh and smile at Damon. I know this will be good.

"We… uh… we met in New York. She was at a bar and I picked her up. I rocked her world for three nights straight and then she realized she was in love with me. Now we're going on three years." Damon smiles at me. I bite my lip to keep from punching him and return his smile.

"I… I don't believe you." Charlotte contests. "Kiss her. Kiss her for real and prove that you two are in love."

"My pleasure." Damon says before spinning me halfway into his chest and leaning in. I turn my head last second so his lips land on my cheek.

"I don't allow public display of affection to that degree." I explain.

I look at Charlotte who now looks like she's going to cry. I feel a pang of guilt as Damon leads me away again. The second we round the corner I away from Damon and punch him as hard as I can on the arm. I can tell it hurt. I cross my arms over my chest while Damon holds his shoulder.

"You rocked my world for three nights straight?" I ask him barely above a whisper. There still is a chance Charlotte could here us. "What the hell, Damon?"

"I'm sorry Little Original, I thought that you would enjoy pretending to be my girlfriend." Damon smirks.

"Well, I didn't. And next time I would like a heads up before you go in for a kiss… that way I can rip your heart out." I tell him. Stefan steps next to me with a smile on his lips.

"Let's go you guys. We need to find that witch." Stefan says. I sigh and turn on my heels. The Salvatore brothers stay a few steps behind me as we walk to the witchcraft shop. When we get there I stop outside the door.

"You guys go on in." I tell Stefan and Damon. Damon walks inside without hesitation but Stefan gives me a puzzled look.

"Are you okay?" He asks me.

"Yes. I just want to take a break from hearing about the sire bond for a couple of minutes." I explain.

"Okay. We'll be out in a minute." Stefan says before going into the shop. I sit down on the top step. A couple of minutes later the door opens again and the brothers walk out. They both look a little frustrated.

"What happened?" I stand up.

"Witch is lying. Doesn't practice magic, my ass." Damon shakes his head. We start down the street towards where we left Charlotte.

"Human sacrifice? Did you really think I would go this far?" Stefan asks angrily. I walk with between them. Charlotte is sitting on the footsteps of a building.

"Extreme circumstances call for extreme measures." Damon shrugs.

"Did you kill those 12 people in 1942?" Stefan stops walking in front of Charlotte.

"Absolutely, I did, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant a clean slate with Elena." Damon says angrily.

"Are you going to help me good cop/bad cop this witch or not?" Damon asks his brother. Stefan doesn't respond at first but nods eventually.

"Okay." Stefan agrees. We go back to the shop. Damon goes inside first with the accusation of Nandi practicing magic. A minute later we hear Damon fall to the ground. I enter the store from the front and Stefan goes around back. Damon is on the floor holding his head in both of his hands. I kneel beside Damon.

"I gave you a chance to leave with your life." The witch says as her spell continues to affect Damon.

"We don't want any trouble ok?" Stefan walks into the store.

"We just need your help. That's all." I look up at Nandi.

"I told you there's no one here who can help you. The kind of magic my mother practiced, it's unnatural. Witches don't even call it magic. We call it expression." Nandi explains and stops her spell on Damon. Daman sits up slowly.

"Is that like black magic?" Stefan asks.

"Worse. Channeling the power of human sacrifices calls on darkness that can't exist on this planet without swallowing it whole. She sold you a bill of goods but breaking the sire bond because she wanted access to that power and you gave it to her when you killed those 12 people." Nandi clarifies. I help Damon get up from the floor.

"Are you saying there's no spell?" He asks. I already know the answer but I let Nandi explain.

"The bond can't be broken with magic. A vampire only bonds to her sire when she has feelings for him before she turns, human feelings. Vampirism only heightens those emotions. You want her free? You have to set her free. Tell her to live her life without you and never think of you again, to stop caring about you, and then leave her. That's the only way around the sire bond." Nandi tells us. Damon and Stefan look upset by the news. I lead the brothers out of the store.

"Emmy, how did you break your sire bond?" Stefan asks me. I knew I would have to tell him eventually.

"Little Original, you went through this before and you didn't think about bringing it up before?" Damon turns to me. I sigh.

"I was in a bad place back then and I hated how I ended up handling it." I bite my lip.

"What do you mean? How did you break it?"

"I ripped out his heart and threw it into the English Channel along with his body." I answer truthfully. Stefan meets my eyes.

"Why?"

"I had met Ossie a couple of months before killing Robert. He told me that there was no way to break the sire bond so I let Robert tag along for a while until I couldn't stand him anymore. Soon enough Ossie convinced me to turn off my emotions and that started our killing spree. At first Robert would scope out the villages and towns before Ossie and I did our thing. But then he got… infuriating. He was convinced that he and I were meant to be together and I played along while hooking up with Ossie on the side. Eventually I just wanted to be with Ossie and continue the _fun_ we were having. Ossie told me that the only way to truly get rid of Robert was to… to kill him." I gulp back the tears provoked by the memories.

"We can't kill Charlotte or Elena, Little Original." Damon says after a long silence.

"I think she knows that, Damon." Stefan watches me as if expecting me to break down. I hold my head up high and force a smile.

"Well, you know what you need to do." I turn to Damon. "The only question is if you are strong enough to let go."

"At least you can practice with Charlotte." Stefan says after a minute of silence.

Damon nods in response. We decide to call it a night and head back to the hotel. Stefan decides it would be best for everyone if he stays in my room. I allow him to sleep in the extra twin bed. The next morning Stefan checks in on Damon through the adjoining door and finds that his bags are already packed. The note left for us tells us to get ready to leave. Damon informs us that he has gone to talk to Charlotte and would be back before lunch. Stefan and I pack our bags quickly and take all of the luggage down to the front of the hotel. Stefan packs Damon's car and we go to a restaurant. I decide to text Damon where we are waiting.

Damon joins us a half hour later. He sits at our table and orders a drink. I exchange a look with Stefan. We wait until we are leaving the restaurant to question Damon.

"So, how'd it go?" I ask Damon as we walk towards where the car is parked.

"I set her free." Damon says.

"Must've been hard. Doing the right thing, especially when it's not something you want to do." Stefan points out.

"Get to the point, Stefan. You don't think I'm going to be able to do what I need to when I have to tell Elena to stay away from me." Damon keeps walking towards the car.

"Well, I mean, selflessness isn't exactly one of your most obvious traits, Damon." Stefan says.

"Yeah? Well, one of these days you're going to realize you don't know me half as well as you think." Damon stops at the car, leaning against it."

"What do you mean?" Stefan asks.

"Back in 1942 I tried to go overseas with you. Lexi met me at the train station and told me that it wouldn't be good for you if I went. She told me that I might cause the Ripper of Monterrey to come back and I knew she was right. So I put your need in front of mine and went back to the pub." Damon tells his story. When he finishes I look to Stefan awaiting his response.

"I didn't know about that." Stefan stares blankly at the ground before looking at Damon.

"Yeah, well, next time I'll hang a billboard." Damon says sarcastically.

"Look, in know it may seem like I'm being unfair about this, like I'm upset about loosing Elena to you, and I am. But after all this is over, if she never feels the same way about me as she used to, at least it'll be her choice." Stefan argues.

"The dreaded C – word." Damon sighs and opens the passenger side door for me. I slip inside as Stefan sits in the back seat and Damon sits in the front. "I know what I have to do Stefan."

We get home rather quickly due to Damon's non-stop speeding. No one barely three sentences are said all the way home. Damon drops Stefan and I off at my house. I drop my things in the foyer. I don't have to ask Stefan, I just go into the kitchen and pour two glasses of scotch. We sit on the couch and drink in silence for a minute.

"I kind of feel sorry for him." Stefan states.

"You feel sorry for him?" I try to clarify.

"Look, you and I both know there is no other way to break a vampire sire bond. As much as I hate it, Damon does love Elena. Now he has to completely let her go. Ever imagine having to do that?" Stefan pauses. "He'll do it. He's not as bad as he wants you to think. He'll do what he needs to do, he told me he would."

"How can you trust him to do it?"

"Because I think he loves her as much as I do. He can't be selfish with her. Not anymore." Stefan explains.

"Being in love with her will only make it that much harder for him." I bite my lip.

"Did you love Robert at all?"

"No. I saw Robert as a prop. I used him when I needed him and then just threw him aside like he was no one to me. And even though his feelings for me were real, I didn't care." I pause. "I hate thinking back to that time because I hate who I was."

"You won't ever go back to that." Stefan tells me.

"I wouldn't be so sure. If I ever flip the switch, I will become The Original Ripper again. Yet this time there are six times the people on this planet. Six times as many possible victims." I bite my lip to stop the tears forming in my eyes. I look down at the carpet.

"Emmy, look at me." Stefan takes my hand. I hesitate to meet his eyes. "You are the one person in this town who can understand what I have gone through. I have relapsed and I swear I will never ever let you go through that."

"You can't promise that, Stefan." I shake my head.

"Yes, I can. You are the closest friend I have right now and I wont loose that. I wont let you loose yourself like I did once." Stefan pulls me into a much-needed hug. I smile to myself and hug him back.

"Thank you, Stefan." I know I can be myself around him and let my guard down. So I finally let the tears come.

****There it is. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the Emerson/Stefan friendship development. The next chapter will definitely involve the Originals. And for the shipping names I'm thinking Nikerson or Nikemerson and Elirson or Emejah? Please review. I am requesting at least ****two**** reviews before I post the next chapter. I love hearing the thoughts, suggestions, and opinions. Thank you for reading.**


	15. O Come, All Ye Faithful

**O Come, All Ye Faithful**

**~1565~**

_Becoming a ripper was easy but stopping was the hard part. It has been only forty years since I stopped drinking whole villages dry for dinner. I have yet to get over the fact that I was once the most merciless vampire on the planet. I had even gotten worse than Niklaus and Kol. Now, sleep is my only enemy. At night, I still dream about what I have done. The people I killed and the people I let live to clean up the mayhem that I left behind. I have decided to be on my own for a while, learn to live independently. The fact that I have never been able to go long without a companion deteriorates my expectations._

_After I left Ossie in Africa, I moved to the United States. I wanted to be somewhere I haven't visited in a while. Mystic Falls is the only place I wanted to be. The village I had once known has grown nicely into a small town. The quite and secluded home I picked out was perfect. Hidden behind a bundle of trees, I am able to live in peace. I only go into town to get food. I always try to keep to myself as to keep from meeting a new companion._

_I run my fingers over the batch of potatoes inside the handmade wooden box. The grocery shop is very small and most of the produce is outside. I pick out some potatoes, apples, carrots, celery, and onions before paying for it. As I walk out of the store I bump into someone. My basket falls to the ground and I drop to my knees to pick it up. The person I hit helps me gather the food. The man offers a hand and I take it. I stand up, dust off my skirt and pat down my hair._

_"I am so sorry, miss." The handsome man looks at me. I smile at him._

_"It is okay. It was partially my fault." I meet the man's blue eyes._

_"I have not seen you in town before. Did you just travel here?" He runs his hands over his light brown hair._

_"Yes. I am living in the house by the pond." I gesture in the right direction._

_"My family owns that land." The man tells me._

_"Really? Well I really enjoy staying there. It is quite beautiful." I compliment._

_"Yes, it is. What is your name?"_

_"Emerson MacIntyre." I curtsey slightly._

_"It is nice to meet you." He kisses the top of my hand. "I am Samuel Fell."_

_"It is a pleasure to meet a member of a founding family." I place both of my hands back onto the handle of my basket._

_"I must get going, but will I see you around town?" Samuel asks._

_"Possibly. I only venture into town a couple times a week." I explain. Samuel nods and smiles._

_"Well, until next time Miss MacIntyre." Samuel tips his head forward in a bowing motion and smiles as he backs away down the street._

_"Good bye." I smirk to myself. It has been a while since I ran into a real gentleman. Hopefully I will see him again._

**~2010~**

Caroline did a great job organizing Winter Wonderland this year. Even though it's still pretty early, kids are already playing in the grass with the fake snow while their parents look on. I smile as one of the little boy hands a flower to another little girl shyly. She takes it and runs off to her mother. I continue to walk through the town center, watching the fun going on around me. When my phone buzzes in my purse I pull it out and answer the call.

"Where are you?" Stefan pauses. "When I woke up you were already gone."

"I got up early and went to the Winter Wonderland charity event." I close my purse. "And I made you breakfast."

"Thanks. But it's already past noon." Stefan tells me.

"That's your fault, not mine." I smile. "Did you need something or did you just call to get my whereabouts?"

"I need something. And before you say no, can you just hear me out?" Stefan waits for my answer.

"Fine." I put one hand on my hip.

"I need to get the hunters sword from Niklaus." Stefan informs me.

"Did you try asking for it nicely?" I joke.

"Very funny. Look, can you just distract Klaus for a while so I can steal the sword."

"Klaus and I aren't really talking right now."

"Why not?"

"Our first date sucked and I really don't want two other people thrown into this twisted love triangle I already have going on." I sigh.

"It's about Caroline, isn't it?"

"Yes. And Tyler. I mean, I'm not the person to talk about liking two people at once, but Klaus took me on a date and openly flirted with Caroline in front of me." I try to collect my growing anger. I look up right as Klaus walks into the Mystic Grill. "I'll do it. Just make sure you're quick. I don't know how long my charming attitude will last."

"Thank you."

"Your welcome." I hang up and walk across the street to the Mystic Grill. I take a deep breath before walking through the doors. I my eyes bounce over the crowd forming inside. I spot Klaus hanging around one of the paintings. I decide to go for the non-approachable tactic and walk over to the opposite side of the room. It takes less than two minutes for him to spot me.

"Isn't that dress a little dark for a Winter Wonderland event, love?" Klaus asks me. I don't turn away from the painting I've been observing. I look down at my dress for a second. It's a dark shade of red with black lace cut outs at the shoulders.

"It's one of my favorite dresses" I turn to him. "You look… dashing."

"Thank you, love. But you, you look stunning."

"Wise choice of words." I smile.

"What have you been up to the past couple of days?" Niklaus steps next to me as I turn my attention back to the painting.

"I've been around. Then I went to New Orleans for a couple of days." I look at Klaus.

"New Orleans? What reason would make you want to go there?"

"It's none of your business actually." I realize the name on the painting. "Nice snowflake, by the way."

"Is my work really that literal?" Klaus smirks.

"I like it. There's something… dark and lonely about it." I look at the carefully crafted painting.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment." Niklaus decides.

"I was unaware that you still painted." I start towards the next painting in the line up.

"I find it rather calming these days." Niklaus says. I stop in front of a painting of a meadow with a lonely tree standing in the middle. Klaus places his hand on the small of my back. I inch towards the painting and away from his hand.

"I think I'll bid on this one." I smile at Niklaus. I turn to the table behind us and write my bid on a piece of paper before putting it into the bowl. I walk towards the bar where Matt must be working.

"You can't avoid me forever, love." Klaus shouts over the crowd. A few prying eyes turn to us. I turn on my heels and grab Klaus' hand. I lead him to a more secluded area of the Grill.

"Look, you're intelligent, respectful, charming, and I know that you really do care. Put aside the fact that you are a notorious killer, you really are an amazing man. And I am ready to go on another date with you because I like you more than I like to let on. But I am not ready to go on a date with you and Caroline." I pause. "Elijah informed me that he cares about me… more than a friend. And I told him that he was too late. I told him that I was going to give you a chance… that I wanted to give you a chance. And I will give you time to make up your mind about who you want to give a fair chance."

"Emerson…" Niklaus starts.

"No. I let go of Elijah to give you a fair chance. Now I would truly respect that you would do the same." I lean forward and kiss Klaus on the cheek before walking out of the restaurant. My phone buzzes as I start down the street. Stefan tells me to meet him in the alleyway by the Mystic Grill. Stefan is leaning against the wall when I walk into the alley. He stands up and faces me.

"Hey." I greet him

"Hey." Stefan shoves his hands into his pockets.

"Did you find the sword?" I ask him. Stefan shakes his head.

"No. But I really need to. It's the only way to decode the hunters map to the cure." Stefan tells me.

"I figured it was of great importance since you needed me to distract Niklaus." I smile.

"How'd that go?" Stefan smirks.

"Um… I told Klaus that I turned down Elijah so I could give him a fair chance and that I would appreciate he do the same with Caroline if that's what he chooses." I purse my lips.

"Are you afraid he wont choose you?"

"Of course. But I just want him to be happy. So no matter who he chooses, I'll still support him." I tell Stefan truthfully. I hear someone come down the stairs behind me. I turn to see Caroline.

"Hey." I smile sweetly at Caroline. Even with everything going on with Klaus, I still see her as my friend.

"Hey." Caroline returns the smile. She exchanges a look with Stefan and I can tell they need some privacy.

"I got to get going. If you need anything, just text me." I tell Stefan before heading out of the alleyway. I walk past the Mystic Grill just in case Klaus is still hanging around. I see Tyler walking towards me.

"Hello, Tyler." I wave lightly as the gap between us closes. He smiles.

"Hey, Emmy. Have you seen Caroline?" Tyler asks me.

"Yeah. She's talking to Stefan in the alleyway." I gesture behind me. Tyler nods solemnly.

"What were they talking about?"

"Um… I don't really know." I tell him.

"Okay. Thank you. I'll talk to you later." Tyler smiles at me before walking past me.

"Bye." I can tell there is something wrong but I continue down the street. For once I'm not going to worry.

I walk across the street and into the town square where most of the decorations are. More people have made their way to the charity event. I sit down on the bench and smile at a bunch of kids who run by.

"Emerson? Right?" A woman approaches me. I don't recognize her at first. "I'm sorry, I'm Carol Lockwood. I've seen you around town a couple of times hanging out with my son, Tyler and his friends. I just haven't had the time to introduce myself."

"Of course, Mayor Lockwood. It's nice to meet you." I smile.

"You too. How long ago did you move here from across the pond?" Carol asks. She continues when I give her an uncertain look. "Your accent is pretty thick."

"Not that long ago." I forgot to even try to hide my accent.

"Have you happen to see my son?"

"I ran into him a couple of minutes ago but he was heading off to talk to someone so I don't know where he is." I tell her.

"Oh. I've been trying to spend as much time as I can with him." She looks around for a minute before gesturing to the bench. "Do you mind if I sit?"

"Go ahead." I scoot over a bit so there is more room.

"I'm guessing you're either a werewolf, vampire, or witch since you're part of their little group." Carol looks at me. I smile and nod.

"Vampire." I inform her. She looks forward once more.

"Do you agree with Tyler's plan?"

"No. It's kind of dangerous." I play along hoping to get some information out of her.

"Well, I know he's just trying to do what's right. But I wish he could have found someone else's body to trap Klaus in other than his own." Carol shrugs.

"Yeah. I bet it would be hard to find another volunteer that would give up their life for however long they're planning on encasing Klaus." I point out.

"I guess no one would want their body encased in cement forever." Carol sighs.

"Yeah." I purse my lips. "I have to be going but good luck finding Tyler."

"Thank you. Have a nice night." Carol tells me. I stand from the bench.

"You too." I walk back towards the Mystic Grill, hoping to find Niklaus. I can feel the anger rising inside of me.

The crowd inside has thinned a bit. I don't see Klaus and am about to head back outside when I spot Matt. I had managed to get today off but Matt wanted to work. I walk over to him.

"Matty."

"What?" He looks up from the table he's cleaning. "Oh, Emerson. I… I didn't know it was you."

"I can tell." I smile. "How's it going?"

"Fine. It's been pretty busy today but that just means more tips for me." Matt smirks happily. I laugh.

"It's supposed to be a charity event." I shake my head.

"And their tips are going to a very nice one." Matt continues to clean off the table between us.

"Have you seen Niklaus anywhere?" I ask after a minute of silence.

"He was in here for a while but left a couple of ago." Matt answers.

"Thanks." I turn around and head towards the door.

"Is that what it has come down to? You practically ignore me when we work and you haven't even been to school in days." Matt drops the towel on the table. "You use to be my friend and then all of a sudden, you drop me like hot potato."

"Matt… I have appreciated everything you have done for me. Reaching out to me when I was new in town and trusting me. But you're human... and this town is already dangerous enough. The Mikaelsons don't like you and they're my family, they're always going to be a part of my life. I just don't want you to get hurt." I purse my lips.

"So, that's it? We just can't be friends anymore?" Matt's face falls. I feel a pang of guilt in my stomach. I know this is hurting him. I bite my lip to rule out the possibility of crying.

"We can be... acquaintances and co-workers " I step towards Matt and kiss him on the cheek. "I'm sorry Matt but I am only trying to keep you safe."

I almost run out of the Mystic Grill. I never wanted to become such good friends with someone, especially a human. I know it's best to let him and the friendship go now instead of later. I lean against the wall outside the restaurant and wipe my bottom eyelid. I push myself off the wall and go back to the town square, hoping Niklaus will show up soon.

"Emerson." I turn to see Hayley, Tyler's friend. "You're in with Niklaus, right? Like you're his friend?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Because I can't find him and he really needs know something." Hayley tells me.

"I already know. Tyler is planning on trapping Niklaus in his body and encasing him in cement." I bite my lip.

"No. He's not. That was the original plan but due to a certain blonde vampire now Tyler is planning on putting Niklaus into Rebekah's body which is daggered in the Lockwood cellar." Hayley continues. "Now, Adrian is coming to find Niklaus in a couple of minutes. He's going to collect Klaus and bring him to the cellar where the Hybrids are waiting. They think I found a witch that can do the body transfer spell but I didn't. I need you to tell Klaus that the hybrids are planning a revolt so he doesn't get, with the lack of a better word, killed."

"Why are they doing this?" I pause, the anger and feeling of betrayal rising inside of me. My hands clench at my sides. "Everybody knows that the Mikaelson's are all that I have left."

"I don't know. But I need to get out of town for a while. Can you please just tell Niklaus?" Hayley asks before walking away.

"Oh, I'll do better than just tell him." I realize that my fists are so tight that my nails are cutting into my palm.

I relax my hands and the wounds heal quickly. I take long strides to my car, which is parked in front of the Mystic Grill. I unlock my trunk and open the spare tire compartment. Hidden under the tire is my secret weapon arsenal. After living on my own for long periods of time, I have learned to protect myself against anything or anyone coming my way. I decide to travel light and grab a single throwing knife. The blade is longer than all the others. I tuck it under the skirt of my dress and march back through the town square and towards the Lockwood Cellar.

The trees provide perfect cover as I near the clearing where the hybrids are standing by idly.

_I was wrong._

I pull the knife out from under my dress and walk out into the clearing.

_These people in this town aren't my friends. I should have known that from the beginning._

I slash at the closest hybrids with the knife. The first few hybrids are easy kills. I slash at another hybrid's throat with the weapon.

_They don't care about me; all they care about are the people in their little supernatural club._

Another hybrid jumps at me, ready to attack, but I slice her head off with the knife quickly.

_I let the possibility of making a new permanent home here cloud my judgment._

I slash at another hybrid's throat with the sword.

_Family has always come first and it always will._

I throw the sword at another hybrid and pin him to a tree. I walk over to him and rip his heart of his chest. I take the sword out of the now dead hybrid and slit another's throat.

_I let go of that motto and that was my fault._

When the last hybrid falls to the floor I look at the bodies surrounding me.

_But it will never happen again._

The crying is audible from where I'm standing. I take the knife and walk down into the Lockwood cellar. The girls' cries get louder as I approach the cellar. The girl is backed up against the bars of the cellar when I enter. She continues to sob as she tries to find a way out. She finally gives up and looks at me.

"Who are you?" She asks me.

"My name is Emerson MacIntyre and I… I am the sixth Original vampire." I smirk as I take a step towards her. "I know who you are. You're Kim. You're supposed to be sired to Niklaus. But because you're not, you thought it would be a good idea to try to kill him and Rebekah."

"I… Please…" Kim starts to plead. I close the gap between us and press the knife to her neck. She quiets.

"That's where you went wrong. You see, the Mikaelson's are the closest thing to family I have left." I press the knife a little harder into her neck, my anger rising. "And no one goes after my family! Ever!"

I push the blade into her throat. The girl gasps for air but I successfully press the blade through her neck and chop her head off. I grab her body and carry her out of the cellar. I pile the bodies in the middle of the clearing. I hear footsteps behind me. When I turn around I see Adrian with Niklaus trailing behind him. I speed over to the hybrid. I grab his heart and pull it out of his chest. I crush the heart in my hands and drop it. Adrian falls over onto his side, dead.

"What did you do?" Niklaus looks at me, shocked. I look over my shoulder at the piled bodies then at Adrian's. I meet Klaus' eyes.

"I don't… I don't know… oh my god… I was just trying to protect you and Rebekah. I was just trying to stop them. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry." I shake my head. I look down at myself and see that blood is covering my dress, hands, and arms. Niklaus looks at me confused.

"Stop them from doing what?"

"The hybrids, they were planning on putting you into a different body and then burying you in cement." I answer. My eyes start to moisten.

"Who came up with this plan?"

"Who do you think?" My voice quivers. "Tyler Lockwood. The Alpha hybrid."

"Go home, Emerson. I'll clean this up after I take care of something." Niklaus puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder. I nod and push back the urge to cry. I can't cry in front of Klaus, not now.

"I'm sorry." I mutter. I don't know if I'm apologizing to Niklaus or the dead hybrids strewn on the forest floor.

I don't bother going to my car. I run right home. When I get inside my house I go straight to my room and shed my bloodied dress. I look at the mirror before jumping in the shower. Blood isn't only covering my arms but my face as well. I get into the shower and try to scrub the already dried red liquid off my body. Luckily most of it washes off. I tie my hair into a high bun and throw on a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top.

I take my dress downstairs to the kitchen. I run the faucet over the fabric. The water turns a deep red as it drains from the sink. I try to rinse off as much of the blood I can but it's still noticeable when I finish. I slump to the floor in front of the sink and lay out the dress in front of me. I know bloodstains and even the deep red shade of the dress can't hide the amount I have been exposed to. As I keep thinking about the blood, I start to think about the hybrids, as I think about the hybrids, I start to feel like crying. I pull out a large bottle of vodka from the back of one of my cabinets. I start to drink straight from the bottle, not bothering to get a glass. I down have the bottle before a car pulls up in front of my house.

"Emerson! Are you home?" I hear Stefan enter the house. I think about hiding in the basement until he goes to bed but I know he's the only person who might be able to help me.

"Emerson?" Stefan calls again. I listen to his footsteps approach the kitchen. When he enters he looks down at me. "Are you okay?"

I don't know how to answer the simple question.

"Is that your blood?" Stefan gestures to me. I look down at my arms and hands. Even after the scrubbing there still lies a thin red layer on top of my skin.

"I did it. I killed all twelve hybrids." I admit. I take another gulp from the bottle still in my hands. Stefan gives me a quizzical look before sitting down next to me.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know what Tyler was planning. Someone, and it doesn't matter who, told me. When I heard, I got so angry." I finish off the bottle of vodka and place it down next to me.

"Emerson…" Stefan says my name.

"I know that you don't know this but werewolves murdered my parents and brothers when I was only at the human age of sixteen. I was all alone. No one in the village wanted to take me in, they didn't want to have another mouth to feed. Then Mikael and Esther welcomed me into their family like I was already one of their own kids. They fed me, clothed me, and put a roof over my head. They gave me five brothers and a sister. They became my family." I explain.

"I know…"

"I don't think you do. Klaus, Elijah, Kol, and Rebekah are the only family I have left. I have watched too many loved ones drop dead over my lifespan. I can't loose them too." I pause. "And when I heard what Tyler was going to do, I lost it. I don't even remember deciding to kill the hybrids. All I remember is the blood and the knife. I remember thinking these horrible thoughts and at first I just thought it was crazy to be thinking like that. But then I started agreeing with the thoughts."

"Was Klaus there?" Stefan asks me.

"No. Not until the end. Adrian, one of the hybrids, led him into the forest thinking their plan was a go. I ripped out his heart. Niklaus didn't kill any of them."

"I would have done the same thing if someone came after Damon or Elena like that." Stefan agrees.

"Would you? Would you really?" I bury my face in my hands for a minute before looking up at Stefan. "What happened tonight was a relapse, Stefan. It's exactly what used to happen back in my ripper days. I would start thinking like a different person. But then I would start believing in my thoughts and actions and as the massacres went on, I became that person, someone I didn't even know."

"Like an alter ego?" Stefan tries to clarify.

"Sort of. I guess that's the best way to explain it." I pause. "But it happened tonight, and I didn't even turn off my emotions, Stefan."

"You're not going to go back to being a ripper. Too many people here care about you to let that happen, including Klaus and Matt… and me." Stefan pulls me into a hug. I rest my head on his shoulder.

"I'm scared, Stefan. I thought that the one thing I had to control my ripper self was my emotions. But if I can relapse without turning them off, I have nothing to stop it from happening again, and again, and again." I sigh realizing the truth.

"You have me, and Niklaus, and Matt, and even Caroline." Stefan says. "I can truly only speak for myself, but I will never let you fully relapse. Ever."

"You don't know how much I hope that's true." I look up at him. His green eyes meet mine. I rest my head on his shoulder once more.

I know that what happened tonight could happen again and that does scare me but what Stefan said is true. There are people here who do care about me and I care about the people here. That's why I can't have another ripper episode. I wont let myself loose control again.

I push the thoughts of the blood and the massacre. I try to focus on the fact that Klaus still has to make his decision on who he wants to be with. I just hope I didn't make the wrong decision. My eyes start getting heavy as my thoughts wander. I fall asleep in my best friends arm on the kitchen floor.

****This chapter was one of my worst and one of the shortest. I am deeply sorry for how bad it is. But I did my best.**

**Emerson made her decision to be with Klaus, but now he has to decide if he wants to be with only her. I made it that Emerson killed the hybrids to bring back up the whole ripper deal which is what gave the Stefan/Emerson friendship a deeper bond. I know that the next couple of chapters will be hard because I have to try to determine which cure hunting team she should be on.**

** I decided that the official shipping names are Nikerson (Niklaus+Emerson) and Emejah (Emerson+Elijah). Hopefully you enjoyed reading this chapter. I'm requesting ****two**** reviews before I update again. **

**I need suggestions on whether I should mix Emerson in with Rebekah's interrogation or put her with Klaus when he tries to help Jeremy grow the mark in After School Special (4x9) and what cure hunting team I should put her on. I need suggestions! So PLEASE review. It would mean a lot.**


	16. After School Special

**After School Special**

**~1565~**

_"I was starting to wonder when I might have the pleasure of seeing you again." Samuel smiles at me as I walk past the church._

_"As I said before, I only go into town a couple times a week." I smile to myself._

_"Why is it that you live on the outskirts of town?" Sam asks me._

_"I am not a sociable person. I prefer to be my own company." I answer quickly._

_"Well, would you like to have a real persons company for once?" He looks at me. I purse my lips._

_"I'm sorry, Samuel, but I am not the courting type. I do not want a man in my life right now." I put it as nice as I could._

_"Is that just another way of saying you are not ready for marriage?"_

_"Well, courting does lead to marriage the majority of the time." I shrug my shoulders lightly._

_"What if it is just two friends having a nice supper together? I will host the dinner and you will not have to worry about a thing except showing up." Samuel proposes. I steal a look at him for a minute._

_"I do not know if that is a good idea…" I divert my eyes to the dirt floor._

_"Please, just consider it." Samuel smiles at me. I cannot help but return it._

_"Fine. I will consider it." I agree. His smile widens and he bows his head before starting in the opposite direction. I find myself looking after him. He looks back and our eyes meet for a moment. I try to make it seem like I was not just staring at him, but it is too late. I meet his eyes once more and smile sweetly. Our shoulders both shake with light laughter as I look at the floor and continue on my way. Maybe coming back to Mystic Falls was not such a good idea after all._

**~2010~**

"You said it yourself; you need to get out of here." Stefan shrugs as he takes a long drink from the glass sitting in front of him on the table. "And Jeremy needs help training."

"Jeremy is a vampire hunter, all of his focus will be on wanting to kill me." I shake my head and hover my cup before my lips.

"Use that then. You can use the drive he has to train him efficiently." Stefan points out. "I mean who better to train a vampire hunter than an Original vampire."

"Maybe another vampire hunter?" I suggest with a smile on my face.

"Damon's been down there for a while now and he hasn't gotten Jeremy any further. I know you can teach him something new. You must have learned some pretty cool fighting skills since you've been alive for over a thousand years." Stefan puts both of his arms on top of the bar and leans forward.

"Of course, but a lot of vampires will have to die in order for that mark to be completed." I purse my lips. "But I'll go. A change of scenery will be nice. Just promise not to throw any wild parties while I'm gone."

"No promises. Beer and dancing can really help a guy out when he's going through a break up." Stefan smirks. I push him as lightly as I can but he still teeters on his chair.

"You aren't going to the memorial service?" I look at Stefan.

"No. I'm too busy attending a mandatory all day drinking party." Stefan answers and chugs all the liquid in his cup. I clench my teeth.

"I feel bad. I feel like I could have stopped Klaus if I wasn't so caught up in my own ripper drama." I place my face in my hands.

"Klaus was going to kill someone. It was either going to be Tyler or someone he cared about."

"I know. But I told him who organized the hybrid uprising." I mention. "Now Tyler is an orphan like the rest of us screwed up kids."

"He'll be fine… eventually." Stefan puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"You should be telling Tyler that. Not the girl who murdered all his friends." I stand from my seat leaving the nearly untouched glass of Scotch.

"This guilt isn't going to help your ripper side stay dormant." Stefan tells me.

"That's why I want to get out of town." I smile. I place a twenty-dollar bill on the bar before walking out and call over my shoulder. "You're paying next time."

I go to my car, which is still parked outside of the Mystic Grill from the night of the Winter Wonderland charity event and slip inside. I put my keys that were buried deep inside my purse into the ignition and start my car. My bags are still packed from the trip to New Orleans so I just take out the clothes I wore and throw the pack into my car. The drive to the lake house is only twenty minutes at the speed rate I choose. Jeremy and Matt are practicing hand-to-hand combat when I pull up. When Jeremy looks over at me I smile but like I expect, he doesn't return it. I grab my backpack from the back seat and put on my sunglasses. I step out of my car and close the door behind me. Matt approaches me with Jeremy trailing a few feet behind.

"What are you doing here?" Matt throws me a mixed look of surprise and confusion.

"I came to help the hunter in training." I gesture to Jeremy. Matt looks over his shoulder for a moment before turning back to me. He rubs the back of his neck.

"I don't know if it's safe." Matt pauses, searching for a way to explain the situation as if I don't already know.

"I'm an Original vampire, Matty. I can protect myself from a beginner hunter." I walk past him and up to Jeremy. "On a scale of one to ten, how deep is the urge to kill me?"

"Four… and growing." Jeremy clenches his fists at his sides.

"Good." I smile and turn on my heels. I put my backpack on the porch of the house and tie my hair up into a high ponytail. I take off my jacket and throw it down next to my pack. I slip off my shoes and turn back to Jeremy.

"What do you feel when you see a vampire?" I ask him. He looks skeptically at Matt.

"Anger, rage, hatred, and blame. Like vampires are the reason everything in my life has gone wrong and I would be doing the world a justice if I killed them all." Jeremy answers. I smile and take two steps towards him.

"Okay. Use that then." I point to him.

"What?"

"The fact that vampires have caused a lot of pain in your life." I pause. "I mean, what killed your aunt, what killed your parental guardian, Alaric, so much that he went crazy, what made your sister dump a guy you actually liked for a guy you can't stand?"

"Vampires." Jeremy mutters. I nod and look towards the lake.

"There you go!" I look back to Jeremy and vampire speed inches from his face. I roll a stake from my hand into his. "Try and kill me. Focus all that hatred on me, and whatever you do, don't let up… because I sure as hell wont."

Jeremy looks at me confused for a moment but then his hunter instincts kick in. His hand with the stake in it flies up. I stop it inches from my face. I push his hand away and motion for him to try again. He runs towards me and tries to stab the stake into my heart. I easily deflect his attack and slip the stake out of his hand. I grab him by the neck and slam him to the floor.

"I said don't let up." I smile. "I can hurt you Jer. I don't really care if I hurt you. You need to know that."

I release my grip and stand up. I give Jeremy a minute to collect himself before throwing the stake at him. He catches it and doesn't waste any time attacking. I knock the stake out of his hand and place my hands on his shoulders. I use my strength to kick my lower body off the floor and throw my legs up and around his. I grab both sides of his head and fake the motion of snapping it.

"You're dead." I say. I lean my body back and land with my hands on the floor and kick my legs over my head and stand upright. "You can't hesitate Jeremy. Hungry vampires focus on one thing only, their thirst. They don't care who you are or that you have your sister."

Jeremy turns towards me and tries to take me on without a weapon. I pin his arms behind his back using one hand. "Most will hear this." I put my hand on his chest. "And all they'll want is to drain you dry."

I let go of his hands and back up. I pick the stake off the floor and toss it to him. I wave towards myself and Jeremy obliges. He throws a punch with his empty hand but I weave away from it. He then attempts to stab me in the side. I kneel and wrap one hand around his wrist and the other under his shoulder. I use his momentum to throw him over me. He lands on his back with a thud. I push any guilt from my body.

"Come on, Jer. You have to do better than that." I stand up as Jeremy does. "Vampires don't feel guilt when they're hungry. That's what drives them."

"I mean I once murdered over nine hundred people in a span on a year and a half years… without an ounce of remorse." I try to say the fact without emotion but I can't ignore the pang of guilt I feel deep inside. "I might even do it again someday, if you don't kill me."

Jeremy's hand clamps down tighter on the stake in his hand but he doesn't make a move. He stares me down for a moment, unmoving. His eyes drop to the floor, a sign of surrender. I have to admit, I don't suspect his next move. He throws the stake at me, like a spear. The speed of the wooden weapon catches me off guard but I move out of the way with very little time to spare.

"Tip number one, Jer." I step back but keep my eyes on him. "Never take your eyes of your target."

I squat to the floor and take the stake in my hands. I roll the wood across the dirt floor. It stops when it hits Jeremy's shoe. He bends down to pick it up but uses my tip and keeps his eyes on me. As he stands up I run towards him. I let my legs slip out from under me and slide between Jeremy's legs. I grab hold of his ankles and pull them out from under him. He falls to his knees. I stand upright quickly.

"Tip number two, Jer." I wipe off my back. "Predict their next move. Unlike me, normal vampires won't give the two extra seconds to think out their next move. They'll go in for the obvious kill method. You need to be one step ahead of them every time."

"How?" Jeremy asks, frustrated.

"Focus, breathe, and put yourself in their shoes." I step towards him and grab his hand with the stake in it. I place it out in the air slightly to the right of my body. "If I was a hungry strong vampire and you went for my neck like this. I would just deflect it, roll my wrist, and gain control of the weapon before ripping out your throat."

I go through the motions slowly. He nods as I instruct him.

"But now that you know my reaction, what would you do?" I step back. I give him no chance to think. I charge at him again. He holds out his hand and I deflect it easily but then I realize that's not the hand with the stake in it. I'm a little too late though. His other hand flies up immediately to my neck. I grab and hold back his hand, as the point starts moving into my skin. I push his hand away.

"Nicely done. You're learning." I smile and back away. "Most vampires aren't as old as me so they wont have as fast of reflexes or as much strength or skills."

"Thanks." Jeremy's shoulders drop slightly. I smile and look over at Matt, who's now sitting on the floor.

"You keep moving and thinking like that, you'll be a professional hunter in no time." I tell him.

"What are you doing here?" Damon appears from around the house. I put a hand on hip and throw him a surprised look.

"Damon? It's so good to see you. How you been?" I fake the curiosity.

"Just dandy. Now, why don't you tell me what you're doing here?"

"She's helping me train." Jeremy answers. I smile back at him.

"And unlike you, she's actually doing a good job." Matt throws in.

"Watch it. If I recall correctly, by some miracle, you are still human." Damon flashes his vampire veins and fangs.

"Look, I'm not trying to take your job as hunter trainer. I'm just trying to…" I start.

"One up you." I hear the British accent come from behind Damon. I take a side step to the left and meet Klaus' green eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jeremy starts towards Klaus. I put up my hand, stopping his advance.

"You're not that good, slick." I tell Jeremy but keep my eyes on Niklaus.

"I'm simply appreciating the sites and smells of nature-neither of which presently include the smell of rotting vampire flesh, so I'm a bit concerned. How many vampires has he killed?" Klaus looks at all of us but his eyes linger on me. I glance at the floor after a couple of seconds of holding his stare. He looks… worried.

"If we throw Jeremy out in the real world right now, he's chum." Damon sighs.

"Yeah, see that's not a number. Twelve! That's a number. That's how many of my hybrids Emerson slaughtered with a tiny little knife to protect me. Three. That's how many days it took to supress the urge to kill your brother after he knowingly watched as I walked into a death trap. One. That's the number of purposes you serve. You are here to grow Jeremy's mark so I'll ask again, how many vampires has he killed since he's been here?" Klaus turns to Damon.

"Zero." Damon answers.

"That's a pity. I'm going to need that cure sooner rather than later. Hybrid shorted and all. How can I help?" Niklaus tries to sound genuine, but fails. Damon picks up one of the guns off the floor.

"You know, now that you mentioned it, Jeremy, watch and learn." Damon shoots Klaus with wooden bullets. I run in front of Damon and knock the gun out of his hand.

"What the hell was that for?" I ask Damon.

"That was for Carol Lockwood." Damon glares down at Klaus' limp body. I kneel next to Klaus' body.

Damon tells Matt to run around the lake with Jeremy. They take off in a jog and Damon retreats back around the house. I dig the bullets out of Klaus' chest one by one, so the wounds can heal. Klaus moans as he tries to sit up. I don't offer a helping hand. I had been planning on putting some space between us until he made his decision. I did not plan on him showing up at the lake house.

"Thanks, love." Niklaus looks at me. I smile but don't respond.

"What? Are we not talking now?" Niklaus leans back onto his hands.

"I told you that I would give you space to think." I explain.

"What if I don't need space? What if I already made my decision?" Klaus looks at me. I try to keep my heart rate from rising.

"Did you?" I stand up and off any dirt that is still clinging to me. Niklaus stands too.

"Yes, love. And I am so sorry." Klaus apologizes.

"For what?" I look at him, bewildered. I knew it. He chose Caroline.

"For making you doubt my feelings for you." Niklaus pauses. "I've known that you are the person I've wanted to spend forever with since I was a teenager. When you left us, I truly did not know if I would ever see you again so you could imagine my surprise when I saw you in Mystic Falls. I was so used to you not loving me back, that when I realized that you did return the same feeling, I was in shock. I didn't know how to handle it because I thought you could still choose my brother. And while I had started fancying Caroline, I know that you are the only girl I truly love. The only girl I want."

"Are you sure?" I purse my lips. Niklaus wraps one hand around my waist. His other hand runs lightly along my cheekbone. He moves it back onto my neck.

"Absolutely." Niklaus leans down and our lips meet in a short embrace. It's not a passionate kiss but the feeling I get is the same one I would get if it were. I smile to myself. "I love you, Emerson MacIntyre."

"I love you too, Niklaus Mikaelson." I giggle like a human teenage girl.

"I thought you'd never say those words… and mean it." Niklaus admits as he rests his hand against my cheek and runs his thumb over my jaw line.

"Well, I do." I turn my face into his hand. He runs it back across my hair, tucking a stray piece behind my ear.

"So, does that mean that we get a second date?" Niklaus asks me. I laugh lightly and place my arms around his neck. He moves his hands down to my waist. His fingers slip into the thin gap between my shirt and shorts. His fingers are cold against my bare skin

"No. It means we get our first real date." I remark and lock my hands behind Klaus' head. I have to get onto my toes to touch my lips to his with him standing up straight.

The electric feeling I get when we touch, has been present every time. The only difference is that now I'm embracing it instead of rebuffing it. I feel like I've done something wrong when Niklaus retreats slightly from the kiss. He kisses me on the forehead, his lips landing right above the gap between my eyebrows. He cradles my face in his hands.

"Always and forever." Niklaus whispers. I let a smile dance onto my lips.

"Always and forever." I repeat recalling the promise that we had made long ago with Elijah and Rebekah.

I close my eyes and try to enjoy the moment that I had thought would never come. When Niklaus' hands disappear from my face and his lips pull away, I open my eyes. I realize I'm not standing by the lake any more. As I look around, I understand that I'm inside the lake house. Matt comes into view as he walks down the stairs

"What the hell happened?" I ask as I swing my legs over the side of the couch.

"You fainted." Matt tells me.

"I fainted?" I try to clarify.

"Yes." Matt sits down next to me on the couch and hands me a cup of water. "The second you saw Klaus, you went down. Luckily, Jeremy caught you before you actually hit the floor."

"Where is he?" I lean forward and bring the cup to my lips.

"Jeremy?"

"No. Klaus." I look at Matt.

"Outside, talking to Damon." Matt gestures.

"Did he look worried?" I mutter the question.

"I don't know. I was kind busy worrying about you." Matt shrugs.

"I'm sorry. Thank you, matt. You're a good friend." I pause. "I'm so stupid. He made his choice already. He probably doesn't even love me anymore."

"What choice?"

"I chose Klaus over Elijah, and I think Klaus just made his choice of Caroline over me." I gulp. I lean my head on Matt's shoulder. All I need right now, is support.

"He loves you." Matt wraps an arm around my shoulder and squeezes lightly. "I just don't think he knows how to show it."

"All this time I've been trying to deny my feelings for him because I didn't want him to think he could accomplish this little fairy tale ending he always pictured. He wanted to be king of the hybrids and have me sit at his side. I didn't want him to think he could do all these horrible things and get rewarded for it so I ran from everything. But then I did some horrible things. I thought that made us just horrible enough for each other. But maybe I was just a little late to the party." I pause and smile at Matt. "It sucks to have the shoe on the other foot."

"Maybe he just got tired of waiting and didn't think you would come back. I mean you were gone for hundreds of years." Matt points out. "Maybe he just forgot what it was like to be around you and the feelings that did resurface scared him."

"I doubt it. Klaus doesn't scare easily." I purse my lips. "I'm sorry, Matt. I was supposed to be keeping you safe by staying away from you, and now I've turned you into my personal Dr. Phil."

"I've missed you, Em. I want you to be my friend again. I want to move back in with you and not worry about you." Matt tells me.

"The night of the charity event, I had a ripper relapse." I whisper.

"What?"

"I killed those twelve hybrids because I kind of relapsed."

"I thought you had to turn off your emotions to become a ripper." Matt looks at me, surprised.

"I thought so too. But turns out that it works with no emotions and to many emotions."

"Are you okay?"

"But Klaus was there when I killed the last hybrid. I knew he saw what was happening, and he didn't even look worried. He looked like he just wanted to go home." I lean back into the couch.

"I don't care about Klaus. I care about you, my friend." Matt specifies. "Are. You. Okay?"

"I don't know, Matt. And that's what scares me. For the past three days, I've been drowning my feelings with alcohol. Now I'm coming back to reality and I'm scared of what I might do." I admit.

"Scared of what you will do, or what you have done?"

"Both. What happened the other night would not even be considered as a binge, in my terms. That wasn't even close to what I can do and if I really do loose control, you don't even want to know what would happen."

"How did you stop the first time?"

"I don't know if you should hear…"

"Tell me." Matt places a reassuring hand on mine.

"We were making our way through Africa, Ossie and I. We came across this tiny village of all women. Their men had left to go off and fight in a war with a neighbor village. We started rounding them up, like always, and one of the women gave me this look. She reminded me so much of my mom, my real mom. The lady was holding her daughter so tight like she would do anything in the world to save her. Just like my mom." I blink away the tears in my eyes. "She started to plead with me not to kill them. She told me how she had just watched her husband and son get killed in battle and that her daughter was all she had left. Their story was so close to mine I actually started care. Then Ossie started ripping the women apart. I tackled him to the floor and snapped his neck. I cared enough to stop him. I dropped him in the middle of the desert and left for America the next day."

"And you haven't gone back to rippering since?"

"Nope. Not until I thought my family was going to be take n from me again." I pause. "I'm going to help you guys all I can to find that cure. But I will never, ever help you kill the only people I call family."

"I know." Matt nods.

I kiss him on the cheek lightly before standing up and walking out of the house. I join Jeremy by the lake as he practices striking with the stake. I sit a couple feet away from him. His eyes linger on me for only a second. I take a pebble off the floor and use all my strength to toss it across the lake. I count seventeen skips before it sinks into the water.

"Thank you for catching me." I look up at Jeremy.

"No problem." Jeremy mutters as he slices the air with the stake.

"You probably didn't want to, huh?" I smile up at him.

"I reacted before I could stop myself." Jeremy returns the smile and shrugs. I throw another pebble and count twenty-six skips this time. I stand up and face Jeremy.

"I'm going to go home." I tell him.

"Why?" Jeremy stops practicing. "Unlike Damon, what you told me actually seemed to help."

"Just practice what I taught you, okay?" I take his statement as a compliment.

"Never look away, predict the next move, focus, and…" Jeremy searches for another one. I know there isn't one but I offer a new one.

"Protect yourself. Whether I like to admit it or not, I hate most of the bloodsuckers these days." I joke. I take a couple of steps backwards.

"Why are you leaving?" Jeremy questions.

"The reason I wanted to get away from Mystic Falls for a couple of days just showed up here. So, might as well go back." I shrug. I grab my stuff from the porch and go to my car. I throw my stuff into the backseat and get inside the car. I pull out of the driveway and go home.

When I open the front door I call inside for Stefan. I was almost sure he would be here so when he doesn't respond I pull out my phone I had put into my unopened backpack. As I read the urgent text messages from Stefan and Caroline I realize my phone must have been on silent. I jump back into my car and speed over to the high school. I barge through the front door and go straight to the library where Stefan texted me they were being held. I walk through the doors and see Caroline, Stefan, and Elena all seated at a table. Rebekah is standing over them like a teacher.

"What the hell is going on, Rebekah?" I ask her.

"Hello, sister. Surprised to see me?" Rebekah turns to me.

"What are you talking about? Klaus told me you were visiting some friends up north." I throw her a confused look.

"Of course he did. My brother, the mastermind." Rebekah smiles at me. "Well, what really happened is that Stefan here helped my brother dagger me and stuff me in a coffin in the Lockwood cellar."

"You didn't?" I look at Stefan.

"Answer." Rebekah looks at him.

"I did." He mutters. I realized he's being compelled.

"What are you doing to them?" My eyes bounce over each of them, making sure they aren't being tortured, yet.

"Compelling the truth out of them."

"More like forcing the truth from us." Caroline speaks up.

"Same thing." Rebekah approaches Elena. "Do you still love Stefan?"

"Yes." Elena answers.

"Are you still in love with Stefan?" Rebekah questions.

"No." Elena shakes her head. Everybody, including me, looks at Stefan. Rebekah smiles at Stefan.

"Did that hurt? Having someone you love drive a dagger through your heart?"

"Go to hell!" Stefan meets her eyes.

"Did. That. Hurt?"

"Yes." Stefan admits.

"Welcome to the last 900 years of my life." Rebekah smirks.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" I step in front of Rebebkah.

"To give them a taste of what it's like to feel real pain." Rebekah answers. I open my mouth to respond but the doors to the library open unexpectedly. Tyler walks into the room.

"Ahhh, good you're here." Rebekah looks at Tyler. "It was starting to get depressing."

"What the hell is going on here?" Tyler steps towards us.

"Listen to the rules carefully. Stay in the building, no vamp running in the halls." Rebekah states. I realize what she's planning.

"You cannot be serious?" I mutter.

"Vamp running from what?" Caroline looks up at her boyfriend. Rebekah in turn compels Tyler.

"Turn."

"What?" Elena looks bewildered.

"He can't he'll loose control." Caroline points out.

"That's the point, I've exhausted all your knowledge. Now, I have the professor to help me find the cure. You're just competition. Whoever finds it first, gets to decide what to do with it, use it. Share it, destroy it, save it. I want that to be me." Rebekah explains.

"But if I turn, I'll kill them." Tyler backs up.

"Yes, you will. Turn." Rebekah says and walks out of the room. I follow her outside.

"Rebekah, call him off." I run in front of her.

"no. They deserve to be killed." Rebekah decides.

"They don't. They deserved to be punished for what they've done to you, but not murdered by their good friend."

"What I say goes. If you don't like it, you can try to stop it. But good luck with that." Rebekah smiles as she continues down the hall.

"Shit." I mutter before running back into the library. Elena, Caroline, and Stefan have moved out of their seats and away from Tyler who is holding his head.

"Can't you compel him to stop?" Caroline asks me.

"No. I can't call it off since Rebekah is the one who compelled him." I pause, thinking. "But I can try to hold him off until he stops wanting to kill you."

"What do you mean?" Stefan looks at me.

"Agh! I can fight this!" Tyler yells as he falls to the floor. I can hear his bones cracking.

"Go! Run! Go!" I shout at the three who are still observing him turn. Stefan helps usher Caroline and Elena out of the room.

"Tyler, Tyler, listen to me." I kneel in front of him. His bones continue to crack. I can see that he's trying to fight it.

"You should go. I don't know how long I can…" Tyler slams down onto the floor. "…hold it in."

"Just look at me." I grab his face and compel him. "You will do what Rebekah said. You will turn and hunt them. But you will not hurt them. You understand?"

"Yes." Tyler nods. "Thank you."

"Your welcome." I back away from him and towards the door. I run outside and down a random hallway. A set of doors is locked somehow stopping me. I turn down another hallway and run. I listen for any movements or sound. Then I hear it. I follow the cries for help to a laboratory. Bonnie is kneeling next to that one girl April. I rush into the room and walk over to the two. I hear someone come in behind me and I turn to face Stefan and Elena.

"Bonnie, what's going on!?" Elena asks, visibly worried.

"She needs help." Bonnie answers looking up from the bleeding girl.

"What happened?" I question.

"I did a protection spell, but it accidentally linked Shane to April."

"And you couldn't control it?" Elena stares at her best friend.

"I didn't know I was doing it! Usually, I feel pain or I bleed, but this time, I felt more power." Bonnie explains as Stefan feeds April his blood. She gasps, petrified.

"It's okay! You're okay." Stefan holds April in his arms. "You're okay. Bonnie, get out the school. Just be careful. Tyler's out there, and he turned."

"Well, what about you?" Bonnie gets to her feet.

"They can't leave. Rebekah compelled them." I inform her.

"Just go. We'll deal with her later." Stefan tells Bonnie. She leads a still terrified April out of the room. Bonnie glances back at Elena before running out with April.

"Stefan…" Elena starts.

"No!"

"Stefan, we have to talk about this. Please." Elena pleads.

"Talk about what? Huh? How many more ways is there for you to rip my heart out?" Stefan turns to Elena, hurt.

"I'm sorry." Elena apologizes.

"Sorry that it happened or sorry that I found out?" Stefan looks almost angry. I back away from them, trying to give them as much privacy as possible

"I'm sorry about all of it! I'm really sorry Stefan. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't want that." Elena tries to explain. I feel bad for her. I know she means what she's saying but it doesn't change the fact that she broke Stefan's heart. The doors open and Rebekah steps inside.

"Why are my least favorite people always the most durable?" Rebekah looks at Elena and Stefan.

"Leave her out of this. This is between me and you." Stefan turns to Rebekah and steps between her and Elena.

"You're still protecting her. Must I rip your bleeding heart from your chest and show you the scar tissue that is Elena Gilbert?" Rebekah walks over to Elena. "There is a solution to all your problems, you know. I could compel him Erase every memory he has of you, everyday you spent together, every kiss, every lie, every ounce of pain… I could take away every bit of love he has for you. Give you both a clean slate. Just say the word and I'll make you and all that misery you caused him disappear."

"Do it." I'm surprised to hear Stefan agree. Elena looks shocked as Rebekah turns to Stefan.

"Excuse me?"

"Erase it all, every memory." Stefan clarifies.

"Stefan…" I try to stop him.

"Stefan? No!" Elena cries out.

"I said 'do it.'" Stefan repeats. Rebekah laughs.

"No. It'd be far too easy. I refuse to make you forget her the way Klaus made you forget me." She turns to Elena. "But at least you know how he really feels." She turns back to Stefan. "Consider your eternity of pain my revenge, Stefan. I've used you for all you're worth, so no, you're free to go."

Rebekah leaves the room happily. The awkward silence lingers in the air. Elena is clearly upset as well as Stefan. I try to think of a way to lighten the mood but nothing that would actually work comes to mind. Stefan starts to leave the room.

"Stefan, wait." Elena calls after him. Stefan grabs my hand and pulls me out of the room with him. I look back at Elena for a moment before falling into step next to Stefan. I can hear Elena coming after us though. She falls back as we go outside. Stefan releases my hand as we walk to his car.

"Stefan, are you okay?" I ask him. He hesitates to answer.

"No. But I will be." He shoves his hands into his pockets

"Are you sure about that?"

"No. I need to go home to grab some things, I'll meet you at the house." Stefan tells me before ducking into his own car. I purse my lips as I watch him drive off.

"He hates me, doesn't he?" Elena comes up beside me.

"No, he doesn't. He loves you." I look at her. "And that's the problem."

"I love him, I do. I'm just…" She tries to find a way to finish her sentence.

"Not in love with him." I look at the ground. "I know the feeling."

"You do?"

"Sweetie, I know I look like I'm only sixteen, but you have to remember that I'm older than most of the people in this town by a thousand years or so." I pause. "And I've been alive long enough to have gone through things you couldn't even imagine going through."

"How did you handle it so well? Being in love with two brothers?" Elena questions me.

"I don't think I did." I bite my lip. "I should get going. Do you need a ride?"

"Yes, actually. Caroline drove me this morning and I think she's a little preoccupied with Tyler." Elena gestures at the school. I lead the way to my car and get inside. I don't need directions to get to Elena's house. When I pull to a stop, she puts her hand on the door handle but doesn't push it open.

"Thank you for what you're doing with Stefan." Elena mutters.

"You're welcome." I don't need her to explain.

"I know he needs a friend right now and you are probably the best person to fit that role." Elena smiles at me.

"He's a good guy. I'm luck to have him as a friend." I keep my hands on the steering wheel.

"Yeah." Elena opens the door. "I should go, but thanks for the ride."

"No problem. Have a nice night." I wave lightly. Elena starts to get out of the car but her phone rings. She answers it and closes the door behind her. I hear the start of the conversation as Elena walks towards her house.

"Stefan knows about us…" Elena says. I don't bother tuning in anymore. I pull my phone out of my pocket and text Stefan. He informs me that Damon is still at the lake house with Jeremy. A tap at my window almost causes me to jump out of my seat. I roll down the window when I see that it's just Elena.

"Do you want to take a drive back up to the lake house? Damon told me that you're really good at the whole hunter training thing and they could use your help." Elena looks at me with pleading eyes. I bite my lip.

"Fine, get in." I unlock the door and Elena slips back inside. I pull onto the street and start in the direction of the lake house.

I want to go back to the lake because I actually enjoyed helping Jeremy. But I don't because Klaus is probably still there. If he is, I know there is going to be some sort of confrontation. And I'm not sure if I'm ready to be turned down by him yet. I clasp the steering wheel as I drive down the road.

****I got this one up pretty fast. I hope you enjoyed it. I wrote the Nikerson scene thinking it was going to be real but then I realized I wanted it to go more of a different way and I decided to put off the confrontation for a while. Sorry for any mistakes, i didn't really have time to read it over. Please review. I'm requesting at least two like always before I update again. I love hearing opinions, thoughts, and ideas whether they are positive or negative. It helps shape the story and myself as a writer. So review away! Thanks for reading!**


	17. Catch Me If You Can

**Disclaimer: _I Do Not Own TVD, Only My OC's_**

**Catch Me If You Can**

**~1108~**

_I roll my neck, trying to ease the pain amounting from sleeping in an uncomfortable position the night before. The partygoers chat aimlessly, laughing too loud, and drinking way too much. Niklaus likes the company and the more, the better he always says. It is easier to feed on certain people when the crowd is large. I do not approve of having such lavish parties so often, but if it keeps Niklaus and Kol from wreaking havoc. A town like this can only take so much death. I look around the room and find what I am searching for quickly, a drink. Not blood, wine. I always drink before the parties start, usually on some poor young man. They are always the least suspecting of a woman._

_I grab one of the already poured glasses of wine and bring it to my lips. The liquid feels good running down my throat but I know what drink of choice really is. I move over to one of the newest paintings hanging on the wall. Niklaus must have painted it last night or sometime around there for I have not seen it anywhere before. The girl in the painting is facing away, her red orange hair blowing in the wind behind her. In front of her is a large oak tree. Her head is tilted upward, making it seem as if she is studying the tree. I realize whom the painting is of when I see the blood on the girls hand and on the mysterious hand pulling away from hers. It must have been what Niklaus expected had taken place my family was murdered. I sigh and turn my face away from the painting. I admit that he is very good at what he does, drawing emotions out to the surface through his art._

"_Hello, miss. I could not help but marvel at the fact that you have been standing all alone most of the night." A man walks up beside me. I meet his green eyes._

"_You have been watching me, sir?" I keep a straight face, as I am not sure of what to make of his last comment._

"_More like admiring your beauty." The man corrects. I force a smile and turn back to the painting. "Do you know who painted this?"_

"_Niklaus Mikaelson." I answer politely. I am not interested in this man but by the way he dresses, he is of some importance._

"_I have never heard of his work. Where was this painting purchased?" The man questions me._

"_Niklaus Mikaelson is the owner of this house. We did not purchase it, he painted and hung it up." I purse my lips. One of the big problems I have with Niklaus throwing these parties is that most of the guests do not even know him. They show up, eat our food, drink our wine, and sometimes occupy our guest bedrooms. I find men like the one standing beside me extremely irritating at times._

"_Oh, well, he is talented."_

"_Yes, he is." I pause and turn to the man. "How did you hear of this gathering? Due to the fact that you do not even know the host, I would assume you were not directly invited."_

"_Do you know who I am?" The man turns to me, a look of shock on his face._

"_No. And frankly I do not care." I admit._

"_It would be wise of you to bite your tongue, little lady." He points a finger at me. "I am Lord Huffington. I am the fiftieth person in line for the throne of England."_

"_If you're the fiftieth, then I'm the fifth." I remark, uncaring about sounding disrespectful. People like this hit a nerve with me._

"_Miss, I strongly advise you to shut your little mouth or so help me god…" Lord Huffington grabs my arm roughly and yanks me towards him. I try to pull away, not using my full strength, and fail._

"_What would you do? Hurt me in front of everyone?" I lean into him but keep the scowl on my face. I fight the urge to rip out his throat._

"_No. I will force you to do something you don't want to." The man smirks lightly. I realize what he is hinting at and lift my lips, about to let out my fangs. A hand suddenly appears on Huffington's arm._

"_I suggest you let go of my good friend." Kol comes up behind me. I can see that he's holding onto the man tightly by the obvious pain in the man's face._

"_Or what? What can you do to me? I am a Lord." The man holds his head high._

"_Let go of her right now or I will kill you right here and now, without hesitation." Kol says barely above a whisper._

"_Like hell you will." The man spits. Kol smirks before ripping the man's hand off of mine. He starts to squeeze but I call him off._

"_Stop. I can handle him." I tell Kol before turning to the Lord. I compel him. "Lord Huffington, you are going to turn around and walk out of this house. You are going to keep walking until your feet bleed and then still keep walking. Don't stop walking for anyone or anything. Hell, walk right into the ocean if you have to. The only reason you may stop is if you drop dead from exhaustion."_

"_Yes, miss." The Lord mutters. He does as I said and walks out of the house. Kol and I look after him for a minute in silence._

"_Why did you choose that method?" Kol asks. He looks down at me._

"_You were already talking about killing him. I just thought that this way it would be slow and painful." I meet his eyes._

"_Are you okay?"_

"_Yes. I'm fine. Thank you, Kol." I smile at him._

"_What was he talking about when he said he would force you to do something you wouldn't want to?" Kol questions as he fixes his shirt. I peer around me for any prying eyes but everyone is too focused on themselves._

"_He was trying to imply that he would force me to have sex with him." I whisper. Kol gives me a doubtful look for a second before it turns to a concerned one._

"_I'm sorry, Emerson. But you know he never would have been able to do that to you." Kol reassures me._

"_I know. But I mean think about the women he managed to do that to. Women who weren't vampires that couldn't protect themselves." I bite my lip._

"_Well, at least he wouldn't have been the first for you." Kol shrugs._

"_Actually, he would have been." I admit._

"_Wait, you are a…" Kol starts._

"_Yes, Kol. I am a virgin." I duck my head, embarrassed._

"_You have got to be…" I shoot him a look to make him stop talking._

"_I am serious, Kol." I lean against the wall and grab another glass of wine from server and down it quickly. "I have not met anybody who could play that kind of part in my life."_

"_I knew you were innocent but not this innocent." Kol smiles. I roll my eyes._

"_You know what? Forget I said anything." I wave him off and start towards the staircase. Rebekah and I have our own house but we stay here every once and a while so there is a room reserved for me on the second floor. I walk up the stairs slowly, slightly intoxicated._

"_I have a proposition for you." Kol catches up to me._

"_And what would that be?" I steal a look at him. He smirks. When we get to the top of the stairs he grabs my shoulders and pushes me against the wall._

"_We have sex." Kol slides his hands down my arms, pinning them at my sides seductively._

"_No. Make that a hell no." I shake my head and break away from his hold. He walks after me as I continue to my room._

"_Come on, Emmy. Would you rather do it now with someone who truly cares about you or wait to do it with someone who will probably end up breaking your pretty little heart?" Kol takes my hand and spins me into him. He leans down and kisses me lightly._

"_Kol…" I pull away, unsure._

"_Emmy, you're already over a hundred years old. Do you really want to wait another hundred years to experience something so… special?" Kol runs his hand over my cheek. I know he's just trying to charm me, but it is working. He pulls me into another kiss._

"_No." I whisper when I pull away slightly. I can feel a smile form on Kol's lips as he kisses me again. He pushes me up against the wall to the left of my bedroom door. I start to kiss him back. Kol moves his hands up and down my sides. His lips move down to my neck and he nicks me with his fangs. I pull his face back up to mine and he hoists my legs up around his waist. He opens my bedroom door with one hand and carries me inside. I continue to kiss him as he starts towards the bed. He kicks the door shut behind him._

**~2010~**

When I pull up to the lake house I see that none of the lights are on and Damon's car is gone. Elena must have realized the same thing because she gives me a worried look. We get out of the car and Elena checks inside the house while I look around the house. I don't find anybody and neither does Elena. We decide to split up and search the surrounding forest. I run through the trees, only stopping when I think I hear something. It's Matt.

"Jeremy! Where are you?" His voice reaches my ears. I speed towards where the calls are coming from. I see an unknown vampire starts to pull Matt towards himself. I vampire speed towards them and as Matt starts to struggle to get away. The vampire is about to bite Matt when I reach down and snap it's neck. I throw it backyard, away from my friend.

"Are you okay?" I ask Matt. He looks up at me and takes the hand I offer. I pull him off the floor as Jeremy runs towards us with Elena by his side. When she sees Matt's bloody neck she looks horrified.

"Oh my god…" Elena stares at the blood.

"Get to the house! Hurry!" Jeremy yells. He ushers us towards the house, which is only bit behind us. We all run to the house and make it inside.

"Jeremy, what is going on?" I turn to him. He gives me a sorry look.

"They're coming." Jeremy sighs. I look behind me and see a group of vampires coming out of the forest. I close the front door and sigh.

Matt slumps onto the couch, obviously tired. Elena sits down next to him.

"Jer, get the first aid kit." Elena tells her brother.

"I'll help you." I walk to the back of the house with Jeremy. He opens a broom closet and steps inside, searching for the kit.

"It was Klaus, wasn't it?" I ask him as he moves some things around inside the closet.

"And Damon." Jeremy pauses. "Who else would try something like that?"

"No one." I purse my lips. "Is Klaus still there?"

"I think he left once he turned a whole bar full of innocent people into vampires." Jeremy looks over his shoulder at me. "What's going on with you two anyways?"

"Um… it's complicated." I lean against the doorframe. "I love him but I don't think he loves me anymore."

"I'm sorry." Jeremy finds the kit and turns to me.

"Are you really?" I smile at him. He hesitates to answer.

"No." Jeremy hands me the kit. "But I would be if I wasn't a hunter."

"I know." I take it from his hands and head back to the living room. I hand the kit to Elena and she goes to work on Matt's neck.

"Where's Damon?" Elena asks us. I look at Jeremy to answer.

"I don't know. He was still holding up the vampires last time I checked." Jeremy answers.

"He's still out there?"

"I guess." Jeremy shrugs. I know he doesn't care about Elena's boyfriend any more than I do.

"The sun should be rising soon." I point out. "If he's not back by then, we can send out a search party."

"Consisting of who? Elena?" Matt speaks up.

"And me." I raise my hand slightly. "I'm not going to let my best friend's brother go missing. Even if Stefan does hate him right now."

"Thanks." Elena meets my eyes. I nod and sit down on one of the lounge chairs. I pick up one of the guns on the table. I weigh it in my hand before cocking it and pointing it at Jeremy.

"I love these things." I smile at Jeremy. He looks a little worried as I hold the gun in front of his face.

"I can tell." Jeremy puts up his hand and moves the gun away from his face. I drop the weapon and take out one wooden bullet and roll it between my fingers. It's shaped almost perfectly like a real bullet. I pick up a knife off the table as well and carve into the flat end of the bullet. When I finish I throw it at Jeremy. He looks at it for a second.

"What is it?" He peers up from the bullet.

"Everybody needs their own symbol." I take back the wood and examine the bottom.

"What does it mean?" Jeremy asks.

"Strength, power, action." I answer. The symbol I carved looks like a seashell with a line going through the middle. There is a line protruding from the cutting through line.

"Nice." Jeremy agrees. I put the bullet back into the gun and place it on the table. I walk over to the window overlooking the lake and see that the sun is about to appear on the horizon. I watch patiently as rays of sunlight start to shine across the sky.

"The sun is up which means they are long gone." I turn back to my friends. The front door flies open and Damon walks inside. Elena immediately stands up and steps towards Damon.

"What the hell were you thinking? All I asked you to do was to teach him how to fight." Elena says.

"He's not the best student in the world." Damon points out.

"Wait. Now this is my fault?" Jeremy looks surprised that Damon is trying to blame him. I know that he's just trying to save his ass from getting put through the ringer.

"Stop talking." Damon tells Jeremy before turning to Elena. "Look, I know you're angry, but my way was the easiest, fastest, and safest way to complete his mark to get you the cure."

"I don't care about the cure, Damon. Not if it means putting the people that I love in danger." Elena crosses her arms over her chest.

"Hey, there would have been no danger if he hadn't gone all bleeding heart." Damon plays the blame game once more.

"He killed someone. These were innocent people." I stand up for the hunter in training.

"The mark grew, didn't it?" Damon looks to Jeremy.

"Okay. Look. We need a plan. There's a group of compelled vampires out there, and as soon as the sun goes down, they're going to come after Matt, so we have to find a way to protect him." I try to get everyone's focus back on the problem at hand.

"Yes, I know." Damon walks over to Jeremy and puts his arm around his shoulder. "But there will be no problem when big Jer and I here go on a hunting expedition." Damon turns to a hesitant Elena who does not look like she's ready to agree to the hunt. "Elena, I know it's tragic. I get it. But we also agree that he had to kill them. Now, we have added incentive. So you take the least most valuable player home; Jeremy and I will finish this."

"I'm sorry? Are you saying I should leave him here with you?" Elena throws her boyfriend a bewildered look.

"Trust me. I will keep him safe. Okay?" Damon turns on his puppy dog eyes. Elena looks at him warily before nodding her head, agreeing with him. I sigh knowing the sire bond has just taken over.

Damon and Jeremy start packing up all the weapons they manage to fit in Damon's car. I sit down next to Elena on the couch with Matt. Elena might not have agreed with the hunting expedition if she wasn't under the sire bond. But because Damon told her to trust him, she has no choice but to do so. I purse my lips and put a reassuring hand on Elena's shoulder.

"I just… I can't loose him. And sending him to hunt a bunch of newborn vampires doesn't seem like the safest decision."

"Don't worry about Jeremy. I'll go with them and make sure he makes it home." I smile at her. She nods her head.

"Thank you. Really." Elena sounds really genuine.

"You guys should get going." I tell both Elena and Matt. They get up from the couch and we walk outside. I realize that I gave Elena a ride here and Matt got a ride from Jeremy.

"You can take my car." I toss Elena the keys to my 1960 Mustang. Elena catches them.

"Are you sure?" Elena asks staring back at my car. I assure her it's fine and that I would just hitch hike back home. They get into the car and I watch them drive off. I can't stop myself from praying that they don't wreck my car.

"Don't tell me you're staying behind, Little Original?" Damon sighs overdramatically when he comes out of the house. Jeremy tags along.

"Yeah. Now you'll have a material witness." I put a hand on my hip. Damon rolls his eyes as he places a compound bow into the trunk and closes it. Jeremy comes up beside me.

"I can honestly say I'm happy that you're coming." Jeremy whispers. I smile as I catch his words. Damon turns to us.

"You know that I can hear everything you two say, right?" Damon leans against his car.

"We know. We just really don't give a damn." I step towards the car and open the door. I slip into the back seat and Jeremy sits in the front.

"I really didn't sign up for baby sitting two kids." Damon mutters as he pulls away from the lake house.

"I am way older than both of you so technically, I'm babysitting you guys." I lean back in the seat with a victorious smile on my face.

"Let's just go kill some vampires." Damon shakes off my last statement.

I meet Jeremy's eyes in the rearview mirror and give him an "oh well" look. He smiles. We ride in silence for the rest of the short drive. When Damon pulls up to the bar, I see that the lights are still on inside. The only problem is that I don't hear any sound of the undead moving around inside. Jeremy lets me out of the backseat and I go to the trunk with him and Damon. The trunk is stock piled with some impressive hunting weapons. I fight the urge to pick up one of the lonely guns, even though I know I am the only person who will certainly make it out of this mission alive.

"Do you really think they went back to the bar?" Jeremy asks.

"Where else are they going to go? It's all cabins and vacation homes; they can't get in anywhere." Damon enlightens us as he hands another gun to Jeremy. He puts it behind his back as Damon hands him the compound bow.

"All right. There you go."

"Fine. Let's get this over with." Jeremy breathes. He pulls back the compound bow.

"Listen, just go one at a time, only shoot for the heart, don't hesitate, and don't miss." Damon instructs. He hands Jeremy an arrow.

"Save the teaching moment. Elena's not here." I roll my eyes. Jeremy loads the first arrow into the bow.

"You don't have to pretend like you give a damn about me." Jeremy adds. Damon closes the trunk.

"I'm trying to keep you alive, dumb ass." Damon slips more arrows into Jeremy's hands. "Come on."

The music playing is audible as we start towards the door of the bar. I stay on high alert as I walk in. Jeremy holds up his bow, readying to attack. When I see the giant blood smear on the ground I get a feeling that we should just turn around. Damon leads the way around the smear.

"Something's not right." Damon mutters.

"No shit Sherlock." I kneel and run my fingers over the red stain on the floor. The blood is still fresh so I know that whatever happened could not have taken place too long ago. We follow the trail of blood into the back storage room. A giant pile of the vampire corpses are in the corner.

"Looks like we're going to have to find some new vampires." I study the pile of bodies for any movement. "What a waste."

"What the hell happened?" Jeremy asks aloud. I know the question isn't directed at any of us so when I hear an answer, I nearly jump out of my skin.

"I confess." I turn to face Kol. In the same second, Jeremy raises his bow. "I did it."

"Kol?" I purse my lips, unsure of how to proceed.

"Hello, Em." Kol smiles at me and then Jeremy. "Jeremy, good to see you, mate. Sorry about the mess. Ugh, it was a little crowded when I arrived, and I prefer more intimate gatherings. We four need to have a little chat."

"Care for a drink?" Kol asks as he takes an elongated sip of alcohol.

"He's underage, I don't like you, and Little Original has already had enough for the night, so let's just cut to it." Damon suggests.

"You know, my brother bragged about his plan to complete Jeremy's hunter's mark. It was easy enough to track this lot down. They were all hiding in the shadows. Now, killing young vampires is easy or old ones, for that matter." Kol explains.

"Why? What's it to you either way?" I ask him.

"Because, in your zeal to find the cure, you risk waking someone very dangerous." Kol steps towards me.

"Silas…" I roll my head back and place a hand on my hip. I've heard about the first immortal who supposedly come with the cure like a packaged deal. "Look, Kol I don't have time to worry about some ancient old myth."

"It isn't just a myth." Kol shakes his head.

"Well, I've heard it enough. I'll be outside if you need me." I roll my eyes and walk out of the bar with one last glance at the pile of vampires.

I walk out to the car and lean against the door. I pull out my phone and see a text from Niklaus. He tells me that we need to talk as soon as possible. I don't respond and put my phone back into my pocket. I cross my arms over my chest and try to think about how I should handle Klaus. I look over towards the bar when hear the door open. Jeremy comes running outside and by the look on his face I can tell it's not good.

"Are you okay?" I ask him. I feel like I should be concerned.

"Kol attacked us. He has Damon." Jeremy sounds slightly out of breath. I purse my lips.

"Shit." I pause. "When Kol is fixated on something like this he doesn't give up. Not even I can stop him."

"He wants to rip of my arms, rip off the map." Jeremy tells me. I look back towards the bar.

"Go to the lake house. Get in your car and start driving back. I'll catch up with you." I put my hand on his shoulder. He nods and takes off in a run.

I go to the back of Damon's car and open the trunk. I take out one of the guns and weigh it in my hand before shutting the trunk. I know that if I let Kol kill Damon, Stefan will definitely not forgive me. And I can't loose the one person who understands me more than anyone else. I can't loose my best friend. I walk into the bar and hold the gun up as I enter the back room hesitantly. I see Damon sitting on a chair and Kol is standing over him. At the sound of my entrance, Kol turns to me. I point the gun at his forehead. He chuckles when he sees that it's me standing behind the gun.

"Are you going to shoot me, Emmy?" Kol holds out his hands as if he's surrendering. I smile lightly.

"Not if you let go of Damon." I raise my eyebrow slightly, waiting for his next move.

"You won't shoot me." Kol says certain of himself.

"I won't kill you, but I sure as hell will shoot you if you don't let of Damon." I keep my gun raised.

"Bad move, Em." Kol smiles for a second. I execute my plan. I shoot once at him and like I suspected he dodges it easily. I wait until he makes the next expected move. He comes at me from the side and I wait until the last possible second to turn my gun to him and fire one round right in his forehead. He drops to the floor. I know that the bullet will only keep him down for a minute or two. I look at Damon.

"Come on, let's go." I put the gun down.

"I'm good, Little Original" Damon smirks. I step towards him.

"Let's. Go. Damon." The smile on my face fades. "Kol is only going to stay down for so long."

"I can't. He compelled me not to leave." Damon sighs. I take a deep breath.

"Great. Even as an Original, I can't counter his compulsion." I put a hand to my forehead. Damon nods.

"Just get out of here before he wakes up. Get Jeremy home." Damon instructs me.

"I can't let him kill you."

"It's okay. I wont let him." Damon grins widely. "Just get out of here."

"I'm sorry." I say as I back out the door.

"Little Original, make sure Jeremy completes that mark." He adds as I walk out.

"You got it." I run outside knowing Kol will not be very happy when he wakes up.

I vampire speed to the lake house and see that Jeremy's car is already gone. I know that he couldn't have gotten too far so I listen for any sound of the engine. I hear it and suspect he's not more than a mile from the house. I speed towards where the engine sound is coming from and see the car in the distance. I run and jump into the bed of his truck with making little to no sound. I slip into the passenger seat through the window and close it behind me. Jeremy looks at me surprised.

"Where's Damon?" Jeremy tries to keep his eyes on the road.

"I couldn't get him. Kol compelled him to stay at the bar and I can't contradict his compulsion." I inform him. He sighs.

"My sister wont be happy. She said she was going to try to talk to Klaus." Jeremy reports. I look out the window.

"Maybe he can help." I shrug. Jeremy clears his throat.

"So, you only love Elijah and Klaus, not Kol?"

"Yes. I've never been attracted to Kol to that degree." I respond after a short pause.

"Do you think he feels left out?" Jeremy chuckles.

"I know that he doesn't." I shake my head.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Positive. We promised we'd never fall in love with each other."

"When was that?" Jeremy steals a look at me.

"You have a lot of questions for someone who's supposed to hate me." I laugh. "You have to promise not to tell anyone."

"Hunters honor." Jeremy nods his head.

"We had a one night stand in 1108. Afterwards we made the promise so it didn't get more complicated than it already was." I explain.

"Wow. So you've been with three Mikaelson's?"

"No. I've kissed two and… slept with another." I purse my lips.

"Well, I guess that doesn't necessarily make you a…" Jeremy starts. I throw him a death stare.

"Finish that sentence and I will rip off your arms."

"Fine." Jeremy holds up his hands in surrender. I shake my head and look back out the window.

Jeremy and I hold up small talk all the way home. He trusts me enough to start catching me up on all the Mystic Falls drama that has happened before I arrived. He starts with how Stefan and Elena met and gets as far as when his Aunt Jenna died. I listen tentatively until we pull up at his house. When Jeremy walks inside through the front door I get stopped by the invisible barrier. I remember that I haven't been invited inside the Gilbert house yet. Jeremy looks back at me and hesitates to invite me in.

"Come in." Jeremy reluctantly says.

"Thanks." I walk through the doorframe and follow him into the living room. I see that Elena is in the kitchen. She comes into the living room wiping her hands on a towel before throwing it back onto the counter.

"Thank god you guys are okay." Elena pulls Jeremy into a hug. She releases quickly though, probably not trying to push her luck.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to get Damon out." I rub the back of my neck nervously.

"He'll be fine. Klaus called of Kol. He'll come back perfectly okay." I'm not sure if Elena is trying to assure herself or me.

"I'm sure he will." I nod. I sit on the couch while Jeremy puts some of the weapons he managed to bring home with him on the table. I pull out the gun I had tucked under my shirt and place it on the table.

"Jeremy, it's over. You can put all of this away." Elena sighs as Jeremy clicks a magazine into his gun.

"Klaus still wants me to finish the mark. He's not going to stop." Jeremy says.

"Okay. Well, Damon is going to be back soon and then we can figure something out."

"Seriously? You still trust Damon?" Jeremy looks amazed.

"He saved your life." Elena points out.

"He saved the map to the cure. He couldn't care less about me." Jeremy argues.

"I care about you." Elena puts her hand on Jeremy's shoulder but Jeremy swats it away without hesitation.

"Don't. Whatever's inside of me that makes me want to hunt, right now it's on overdrive." Jeremy steps back.

"Jeremy." Elena looks down at Jeremy's hands. Jeremy looks at his hand and realizes he's holding a wooden stake. I get ready to intervene if necessary. Jeremy drops the weapon, startled.

"I'm sorry. I know what I have to do, Elena. I really want to get that cure for you, but… I just - I don't know how I'm going to do this." Jeremy states clearly frustrated. Elena nods at him understandingly.

"Where's matt?" I ask after a long silence. Elena looks away from her brother.

"At the Grill. He said he needed a distraction." Elena answers.

"Okay." I stand up. "I think I'm going to go see him."

"I'll go with you." Jeremy's eyes linger on his sister then he turns to me.

"All right." I look at Elena, suspecting her to object but she just stays quiet.

"Here are your keys." Elena digs into her pocket and tosses them to me. I grab them and Jeremy says goodbye to his Elena. I make sure my car isn't injured in any way before slipping inside.

"So… you can't be around your sister, but you can be around me?" I pull away from the house and start down the street.

"I just know that I wouldn't be able to take you on even if I really tried so I don't consider it an option. Elena isn't the most skilled fighter so when I have the urge to kill her, I actually think about acting on it." Jeremy explains.

"Thanks… I think." I keep my eyes on the road.

"Don't get me wrong. I do want to kill you, I'm just smart enough not to try." Jeremy clarifies.

"That's probably a good idea." I laugh. I pull into a parking spot in front of the grill and we walk in together. Matt is working behind the bar so I sit on one of the stools.

"You need some help?" I put my elbows onto the counter and rest my head on my hands. Matt smiles when he sees me.

"Sure. Do you want to do inventory in the back?" Matt asks as he hands me a clipboard. I shrug and jump off the stool. Jeremy agrees to moves some new cups from the back room to the bar.

I start counting how many buns we have in the back. Jeremy joins me and picks up one of the large boxes containing the new cups our boss ordered. He easily carries it out of the back room. He returns several minutes later with a gun in his hand. He aims it at the door expectantly.

"What's wrong?" I ask, standing up straight. I put the clipboard down on one of the shelves.

"Damon just got here and when he stared at me, his vampire fangs appeared. He looked like he was about to kill me." Jeremy explains quickly.

"Crap. Kol must have compelled him." I pause, trying to think.

"I have to get out of here." Jeremy glances around the room.

We both look at the metal panel on the wall that covers the entrance to the underground tunnels. We meet each other's eyes and I nod. He moves the panel out of the way and I put it back once he disappears. I go back to taking inventory, trying to look like Jeremy hadn't even been in the back room. Damon comes barreling through the door, and peers around the room. I throw him a confused look.

"Are you okay?" I ask him. He meets my eyes and steps towards me.

"Where is he?"

"Who?" I put down my clipboard once more so my hands are free.

"You know who. Jeremy." Damon glares.

"He was supposed to be unpacking cups in the front."

"I saw him come back here so don't lie to me." Damon starts getting frustrated. His eyesight moves to the panel covering the tunnels.

"Damon, what is wrong with you?" Elena enters the back room.

"It was kol. He must have compelled me. If I find Jeremy… I'm going to kill him." Damon tells us before running to the panel, ripping it away, and starts down the tunnel.

"Call Stefan, I'll try to stop him." Elena turns to me. I open my mouth to object but she's gone before I can say anything. I know it would have been smarter for me to go but I pull out my phone and dial Stefan's number, which I know by heart.

"Hello, Emmy." I recognize Rebekah's voice.

"What did you do to Stefan?" I ask her. I walk towards the tunnels and look inside.

"I'm trying to get him over from his old, dull life that included a certain brunette sired vampire. Stefan's not in the mood to talk right now." Rebekah responds.

"Put him on the phone, now. It's an emergency." I say knowing he can hear me. The phone is transferred from one person to another.

"It's me. What's up?" Stefan's voice comes over the phone.

"I know that you don't really care about Elena or Damon but I know you care about Jeremy. And Kol compelled Damon to kill Jeremy. They're somewhere in the tunnels and we could really use your help reigning in your brother." I run my hand over my hair.

"I'll be right there." Stefan mutters before hanging up. I slip my phone into my pocket and immediately vampire speed all the way to the beginning of the tunnels. I almost run into Stefan as I reach the entrance.

"How far in do you think they are?" Stefan asks me. I hear Damon's voice and look towards the entrance.

"They aren't inside anymore." I whisper. "I'll deliver the first blow and you can finish him."

"Okay."

I watch Jeremy run by a couple trees away. Damon follows Jeremy as Elena begs him to stop. The pursuit stops when Jeremy holds his gun up inches from Damon's face. Jeremy's finger pulls the trigger right as I push Damon out of the way. I throw him against a nearby tree. Stefan appears and holds him against the tree.

"Hey, brother. Long time, no see." Stefan snaps Damon's neck and he falls to the floor. Elena arrives and throws a disbelieving look.

"You're welcome." Stefan meets her eyes for a second before glancing at me. I nod my head and turn to Jeremy. He's still bleeding from where Damon bit him on his arm.

"Let's get you home." Elena closes in on Jeremy cautiously. Both Elena and I wait to see if he's okay going with her.

"Okay." Jeremy nods his head. Elena walks away with her brother but I can tell she is obviously putting a lot of space between them. I peer over Stefan's shoulder at Damon.

"At least I made up the fact I couldn't get him away from Kol in the first place." I shrug. Stefan chuckles.

"He'll appreciate that you didn't let him kill Elena's brother." Stefan stands next to me. "He knew she would never forgive him."

"Jeremy would have shot him before Damon even vamped out." I shake my head.

"Probably." Stefan bumps his shoulder into mine. "You need a ride home?"

"No. I got to go see someone." I purse my lips. I hadn't made up my mind about seeing Klaus until a second earlier. I meet Stefan's eyes.

"Okay." Stefan's eyes linger on mine for a second too long. I force myself to look away. He throws Damon over his shoulder. "I'll talk to you later then."

"Good luck with that." I gesture to Damon. Stefan smiles and walks away through the trees. I decide to take the short cut back through the tunnels. When I get into the back room Matt is standing by one of the shelves with the clipboard in his hands.

"Where the hell did you guys go?" Matt looks over at the tunnel opening. "All of a sudden you and Jeremy were gone."

"Damon was compelled to kill Jeremy. It was kind of urgent we got him out of here." I explain. "But I'm sorry for ditching you."

"It's okay. Just happy you guys are okay." Matt shrugs.

"I got to run. But if you still want to moves in with me, consider yourself welcomed." I kiss my best friend on the cheek. "I know that you can take care of yourself. And even if you can't it would be better if I was around."

"Thanks." Matt smiles. We say a quick goodbye and I duck out of the restaurant.

I get into my car and turn on the engine. I drive straight to Klaus' house knowing that the sooner I get the rejection over with, the faster I can move on. The lights are on inside the house when I pull up so I walk right in the front door without knocking.

"Niklaus!" I pause "Klaus!"

"My brother is not here at the moment. But he should be returning shortly." Elijah steps out of the living room. I'm taken aback at his appearance. I try to stop myself from doing or saying anything stupid.

"Great. I'll just come back later." I gesture towards the door and start to back up. I am the one who turned him down but I still can't stop but notice the nervous feeling I get when I see him.

"Don't be impractical. He'll be back in ten minutes or so." Elijah puts his hand on the small of my back. I clench my fists to try to stop the butterflies that start flying around in my stomach at his touch. He leads me into the living room and I sit on the couch. He pours me a glass of bourbon and hands it to me. I almost drop the glass to make sure our hands don't touch. I take the glass with a forced smile. The awkward silence that follows is unbreakable for several seconds.

"Where did Klaus go again?" I clear my throat.

"He didn't say anything except he would be back in twenty minutes." Elijah pauses. "And that was fifteen minutes ago."

"Oh. I think I'll just go and come back tomorrow." I place the glass cup on the coffee table and stand up.

"Do you want me to leave a message with me to tell Niklaus?" Elijah stands too.

"Um… no. It's okay." I shake my head and start towards the door. I turn back to Elijah last second to say goodbye but he takes the reigns.

"I'm sorry Emerson." Elijah says suddenly. I don't know how to respond.

"What could you possibly be sorry for?" I throw him a confused look.

"For not realizing what you meant to me before it was too late." Elijah pauses. "I know now that you are indeed the most important person in my life right now."

I take a deep breath and try to think of how to reply but all I get out is "It's okay."

"No it's not." Elijah runs his finger over my cheekbone. "But I know that you deserve someone who has cherished you from the beginning. Someone who knew how special you were from the start."

"Elijah, you have it all wrong. I will never be good enough to deserve you." I shake my head slowly as to not move away from Elijah's touch. Even though I know it's wrong but I enjoy it too much.

"You do not know how wrong you are." Elijah chuckles. I hear Klaus' car pull up to the house.

"Elijah…" I bite my lip and finally pull away from him. He smiles lightly.

"I will leave you alone now so you and my brother can have a real chance." Elijah tells me. I hear the door start to open behind me and look over my shoulder. When I turn back to Elijah, he's gone. I have just enough time to collect myself before the door opens.

"Hello, love." Klaus smiles at me as he enters the house. I return the smile.

"Hello, Klaus." I greet him.

"To who do I owe the pleasure of this surprising visit?" Klaus puts his car keys into his pocket.

"Um… You texted me that we needed to talk." I remind him

"Do you want a drink?" Klaus gestures to the living room.

"Will I need one?" I question him. He just smiles as a response. I follow him into the other room and am staggered to see that the drinks that were once resting on the table are now gone.

"I already know my choice but before I inform you I think you should tell me why I should choose you." Klaus smirks at me.

"If you think I am going to compete for that number one spot then you are only playing with yourself." I cross my arms over my chest and shift my weight to my other foot.

"I was joking, love." Niklaus hands me a glass of vodka. I take it reluctantly knowing what vodka does to me if I drink too much.

"Good." I take a short drink.

"It really was an easy decision but I am not sure if it was the right one." Niklaus starts.

"What are you talking about?"

"I knew that I would always choose you, Emerson. I just didn't know if it was the right decision because you have always loved my brother and what would stop you from going back to him. What would stop you from second guessing your decision?" Niklaus meets my eyes.

"You. While I have always loved Elijah, I have always had this connection with you that I share with no one else. I have pushed it away and mistaken it for a great friendship many times, but I know what it is now and I'm ready to accept it." I admit.

"I love you, Emerson MacIntyre. And I am not the one who usually shows this type of weakness. I just don't want to get hurt." Niklaus actually seems sincere.

"You know what? I will give you a few more days."

"I don't need a few days." Niklaus argues.

"Take the extension because once you decide you can't go back. Especially if you choose Caroline." I purse my lips. I kiss Klaus on the cheek and place my cup on the table before walking out of the house quickly making sure no one can stop me.

I thought I was ready to hear what Klaus thought, but when he started talking about his doubts, I got too nervous. I don't know if he could sense my anxious mood but I just had to get out of that house. I drive directly home and while I know it will be empty I look forward to being back in my own house. I don't know how long I can go without a roommate but for now I will welcome the seclusion with open arms.

****Hope you liked the chapter. I tried to get it posted as soon as possible. The next chapter will cover A View To Kill(4x11) Now it is the episode where Kol is supposed to die. You're going to have to wait to see what I have planned. Anyways, thank you for all the reviews I've been getting. I am requesting at least ****two**** reviews like always before I update once again. So please review! I love hearing the comments, suggestions, and thoughts. Thank you for reading!**


	18. A View To Kill

**Disclaimer: _I Do Not Own Anything Except My OC's._**

**A View To Kill**

**~1108~**

_The gap between the curtains lets in a beam of light early in the morning waking me up. I rub my eyes before opening them fully. I look around the room without lifting my head. When I see Kol lying next to me I try not to scream. I attempt to not make any sudden movements. I place my hand over my mouth to stop any noise from escaping my mouth as I try to slip out of bed without Kol noticing. His hand suddenly clasps onto my wrist, startling me. I look over my shoulder at him._

_"Going somewhere, Emmy?" Kol smirks at me. I purse my lips and slump back into the bed._

_"No, I guess not." I lean back into my pillow and pull the covers up as if Kol hasn't already seen it all._

_"What did you think?" Kol sits up slightly. The covers fall down to around his waist. Luckily they stop there._

_"Of what?" I act clueless._

_"Our marvelous night." Kol winks at me. He runs his hand over my bare arm lightly._

_"It… uh… I…" I bite my lip contemplating on whether I should tell the truth or not. "It was nice."_

_"I have to admit that you were a lot better than I thought you would be." Kol smiles and looks at me out of the corner of his eye._

_"Thank you… I think." I chuckle. "You know we cannot do this again, right?"_

_"Have sex?"_

_"Sleep together, yes." I shudder at the word. I realize that I must have drunken more than I thought the night before._

_"And why not? I know you enjoyed it." Kol tells me certainly._

_"How do you know that?" I throw him a dirty look. He smiles._

_"You told me last night." He informs me._

_"Look, I just really do not want to mess up our friendship. I love Elijah. I can not fall in love with you." I pause. "I… I just can't."_

_"I promise I will never fall in love with you, Emerson." Kol meets my eyes._

_"And I promise I will not fall in love with you."_

_"Are you sure that you can keep that promise?" Kol winks at me._

_"Stop it." I shove Kol's shoulder really hard. I can tell it only hurts him a little bit._

_"So, do you want to leave the room first? Or should I?" Kol raises an eyebrow._

_"It is my bedroom so you should go first." I gesture to the door._

_"Until next time, Emmy." Kol tips his head a little as if he's wearing a hat._

_"Goodbye, Kol." I pull the covers high under my arms and point to the door. _

_When Kol stands up I see that, like me, he is not wearing any clothing. I turn my head away once I realize he is not wearing any pants but I still catch a glimpse. He quickly pulls on his clothes from the night before and walks out of my bedroom. I sit upright and bury my face in my hands for a moment trying to make sense of what I had done. I stand up and pull on a new dress. I open my bedroom door slowly and peek outside. I slip out when I do not see anyone wandering the hallway._

_"I could have sworn that I just saw Kol emerge from your bedroom." Rebekah whispers after she appears next to my bedroom door. I jump back from her, not expecting the sudden appearance._

_"Um… We…" I search for a reasonable explanation. "He came in early this morning to talk to me about throwing me a birthday party."_

_"He was buttoning his shirt and your birthday isn't until January." Rebekah leans against the wall._

_"Rebekah… please do not…" I start to beg._

_"My lips are sealed." Rebekah smiles finally. She wraps an arm around my shoulders. "You know you can always trust me. We're sisters."_

_"Always and forever." I smiles at her._

_"Always and forever."_

**~2010~**

I awaken to my phone ringing loudly. I let out a loud sigh before sitting up and grabbing my phone on the dresser. Stefan's name appears on my screen so I answer.

"You know that it is ordinary for someone to get eight hours of sleep?" I answer the phone.

"I'm sorry, Emmy. But I was wondering if you could come over right away." Stefan requests.

"Um, sure." I get out of my bed and go to the bathroom. "Why?"

"I need your help." Stefan answers. I balance my phone between my ear and shoulder as I start getting ready.

"I'll be right there." I tell him and hang up.

I get ready quickly and grab a blood bag from the basement. I pour the blood into a thermos before going to my car. I sip down my breakfast as I drive to the Salvatore boarding house. I park behind Stefan's motorcycle and start towards the front door. Stefan answers with a smile on his face. I walk inside and turn towards him. He leans down and hugs me and I wrap my arms around his neck. His hands linger on my waist as I pull away. When his eyes meet mine and my breath catches in my throat. I let out a silent sigh and break our eye contact. He lets go of my waist and we move into the kitchen.

"So, what's up?" I take a drink of blood from my thermos before putting it down on the counter. Stefan shoves his hands into his pockets.

"I need your help with Rebekah." Stefan tells me.

"What do you mean?"

"I kind of… We slept together." Stefan answers nervously and I simultaneously push him.

"Stefan! What the hell were you thinking?" I throw him a mixed look of confusion and anger. "Do you actually like her? Or was she just your rebound?"

"She agreed to have meaningless sex with me." Stefan whispers.

"And what? Now you're regretting it?" I throw my arms up into the air.

"I don't regret it. I just don't want to do it again." Stefan shrugs.

"Goddamn it, Stefan. You called me over here to pretty much have me break up with her, didn't you?"

"Sort of. I just don't want her ripping out my heart."

"Having me tell her will only make her more angry." I put one hand on my hip.

"Maybe." Stefan purses his lips.

"You should tell her because I sure as hell won't." I lean against the counter and cross my arms over my chest. I feel mixed emotions about Stefan sleeping with Rebekah: anger, confusion, hostility, and something else. Jealousy? No. I can't be jealous of Stefan hooking up with Rebekah. There is no way in hell.

"Fine." Stefan sighs.

"Where's Damon?" I ask Stefan.

"In the cellar downstairs. I bled him dry so he's too week to try to break out." Stefan leans against the counter next to me.

"Are you just going to stay here all day to watch your brother?"

"No. I forgot to mention that Klaus is downstairs." Stefan tries to decipher what my response would be.

"Are you serious?" I push myself off of the counter and grab my thermos. I start out the door.

"Come on. You can't avoid him forever." Stefan follows me outside.

"I talked to him last night." I mention.

"Did he tell you who he chose?"

"He wanted to. But I ended up not wanting to know yet so I gave him some extra time to mull it over." I purse my lips and lean against my car door.

"Why?"

"I was nervous, Stefan. I was seriously scared that he would choose Caroline." I admit.

"He would never give you up all that time he spent loving you for someone he practically just met." Stefan assures me.

"I don't know if that's true. He confessed that he didn't want to choose me then have me regret my choice and go to Elijah. He feared that he would get hurt." I cross my arms over my chest.

"Would you go back to Elijah?"

"Not if Niklaus chose me." I pause. "And I told him this, I just don't know if giving my word is enough anymore."

"Emerson…" Stefan puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder. His phone starts to ring, cutting off his train of thought. "It's Elena."

"I have to go." I look up at him. "But I'll talk to you later."

I duck into my car before Stefan can contest. I drive out of the Salvatore's driveway and start down the street. I don't know where I want to go yet so I just keep driving straight. I pull out my phone and dial a number.

"Hello?" Kol's voice comes over the line.

"Where are you?"

"Emerson? It's so great to hear from you after you, well, shot me." Kol chuckles. I roll my eyes.

"If I recall correctly you once stabbed me with a stake." I bring up the incident.

"I was drunk."

"And I was trying to save my friends brother." I pause. "Can we just call it even and move on?"

"Fine. Why did you call?"

"What are you doing?" I keep my eyes on the road but my attention on the conversation.

"Going for a walk. What about you?" Kol questions.

"I'm driving with no where to go. Where are you?"

"I am quickly approaching the Gilbert house." Kol answers. I make a rash u-turn at the next intersection and head back towards Elena and Jeremy's house.

"Please do not kill anyone yet, for my sake." I put the phone on speaker and start to text Klaus.

**Kol headed to Gilberts. Trying to kill Jer.**

I press send and wait to hear Kol's answer. He takes a moment too long and I fear he's already hung up.

"I can't promise that, Emmy." Kol pauses. "If you are going to try to intervene again, you might want to hurry it up."

"Kol, please, I can't let…" I hear the dial and know that he's hung up on me. I groan in frustration and press down harder on the speed pedal. I skid onto Elena's street and slow down as I look for Kol. I spot him standing on their porch, waiting. I park and run up the steps.

"Kol. Are you serious right now?" I take his attention away from his phone call but he keeps talking anyways.

"He's right, obviously." Kol's eyes meet mine. I purse my lips hoping that Elena has not decided to let Kol inside. That will only make it harder for me to stop him from ripping Jeremy's arms off. Too many people care about finding the cure to let Kol destroy the only way of locating it. When the front door opens, I curse under my breath. Elena gives me a shocked look before turning to Kol.

"You'd think being alive for over a thousand years would teach me some manners, but I couldn't resist stopping by." Kol smiles at Elena.

"If I let you in, my brother goes. You're not getting near him." Elena tries to set some rules. I run my hand over my hair, a little frustrated that she doesn't see how this could affect her.

"Fair enough." Kol agrees. Elena looks over her shoulder at Jeremy. He nods and meets my eyes for a second.

"Jeremy, don't…" I start.

"You can come in." Jeremy tells Kol. I bite my lip as Jeremy leaves through the back door.

"No gold medals for bravery, I see. You know the thing I love about the modern age is… music, anytime you like." Kol looks at Elena then me. He puts his phone and earphones in his pocket. Elena watches intensively.

"So… this is the part where you offer us a drink so we can have a proper chat." Kol instructs Elena. She nods and makes way for us to go inside. She closes the door behind us.

Kol moves into the living room without an invitation. I take Elena into the kitchen. I wait until Kol starts to play the video game that was paused. The volume is loud enough to cover our conversation.

"What the hell were you thinking? Having Jeremy invite him inside like that?" I ask Elena, trying to get answers.

"I told him we needed to talk about the cure, about Silas. I let him choose where." Elena pauses. "He showed up here unexpectedly."

"Kol will do whatever it takes to kill you and Jeremy if you don't abide by his rules." I inform her. She nods.

"Not if we give up looking for the cure." Elena whispers.

"You and I both know that will never happen." I step towards her. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing. Except to give up looking for the cure so Jeremy doesn't get hurt." She shrugs. Elena is a terrible liar. I nod and pretend to accept her bad excuse.

"I have to go." I take another step towards Elena so there are only a couple inches of air separating us. "But if you try to hurt Kol, I will know, and I will kill you if he already hasn't… and that is a goddamn promise, Elena Gilbert."

I turn on my heels and walk around the back of the couch to face Kol. I put a big fake smile on my face. "I'm going to get going. I have something to take care of."

I lean down to hug Kol and place my lips on his ear and in the lowest whisper I can manage I tell him, "Keep your guard up. The Gilberts are up to something."

"See you later, mate." Kol smiles as I stand up not noticeably recognizing what I had told him.

I walk out the front door and run to my car. I know I have to find Stefan. Maybe he can talk Elena out of trying anything stupid. I make a couple of turns and speed down Stefan's street. When I pull into the driveway, I see that his motorcycle is no longer there. I waste no time and pull back out of the driveway. I drive towards Rebekah's house. I hope that Stefan is calling off their meaningless hook up sessions like I told him to. I park hastily and run up the front steps. The front door is open when I try the knob. I hear movement coming from the second floor, Rebekah's room to be exact. I tip toe up the stairs and open her bedroom door. Matt is standing by the bed, looking frustrated. I come up behind him silently.

"What are you doing in Rebekah's room?" I whisper into his ear. He nearly jumps ten feet up into the air. Matt calms down a little bit when he sees that it was me whispering into his ear.

"Um… I was… Rebekah wanted me to take her a jacket." Matt side steps towards the closet and pulls out a light blue leather jacket. I give him a doubtful look. He tries to make his way out of the room but I speed to the door and close it. I cross my arms over my chest and rest against the door. Matt looks down at his phone. The text must be important because he gets squeamish.

"Both you and Elena are just dreadful liars." I step towards him. "You want to tell me the real reason you're here digging around?"

"The jacket." Matt holds up the piece of clothing again helplessly. I take another intimidating step towards him.

"Matt, my dear friend, you know that you mean a lot to me. But right now, my family comes above all. I don't like to play games so I suggest you tell me the goddamn truth this time." I stare at Matt. He hesitates to speak.

"The dagger. I came to find the white oak dagger so we could put down…" Matt starts.

"Kol." I say expectantly.

"No. Rebekah." Matt pauses. "Elena wants Jeremy to kill Kol."

I don't even respond. I use my vampire speed to get out of the house. I run the fastest I have in a long time. The tears form start to form in my eyes at the thought of Kol possibly dying. While we haven't had the easiest past he will always be one of the most important people in my life.

I get to the Gilbert house and see that the front door is already kicked in. I jump over the piece that was not broken and tip toe into the house. If they hear me coming I know it will be harder to get the upper hand. I hear noises coming from the kitchen and follow my instincts. I rip one of the posts from the railing and run into the living room.

I have no time to act as Jeremy catches the white oak stake in his hands and stabs Kol through the heart with it. I cry out as Kol screams and his body bursts into flames. The already formed tears escape my eyes. I let myself cry because there is nothing I can do as I watch Kol stagger through the kitchen, his body engulfed in flames. When he falls to the floor I drop to my knees sobbing. I inch towards Kol slowly, trying to not look at his face. I grab the stake still poking out of his chest and rip it out of his body. I chuck the wooden weapon behind me hoping to get it as far away as possible. I bite into my wrist hastily and press it to Kol's cold lips. I attempt to make him drink it, eager to see if it will heal his wound.

"Please, please, please, please, please!" I beg. "Please don't be dead! You can't die! You can't leave us! You can't leave me! Not you too! Please open your eyes!"

I shake Kol's shoulders, trying to wake him up. If I can just get his eyes to open, I can feed him my blood and he will be all right. He will live. He has to live.

"Kol! Answer me! You can't leave me!" I place Kol back onto the floor and wipe my eyes so I can see through the tears. I run my hand over his cold cheek in the most comforting manner. "Kol, just open your eyes, open your eyes and everything will be all right. I won't let anyone hurt you anymore. I promise."

I lean forward and rest my hands and face on his chest. I do the one thing I haven't done in centuries. I pray. I pray for Kol to open his eyes from this deep sleep. I pray for him to be all right and walk out of this house with me. I pray to let me spend more time with him. I pray for another chance to tell Kol that I love him and how much he has always meant to me. I pray for there to be a second chance for him to die.

When I lift my head and slowly turn to look at Kols face, I see that he still hasn't moved. The realization that he's dead hits hard and fast. I cry into my hands for a second, trying to find a safe place to put the blame. But something snaps as I realize that the blame belongs to two people who are standing five feet in front of me and one foot apart. I look up at them and meet Elena's eyes for a millisecond. I speed in front of her.

"I'm sorry." She tries to sound sincere.

"No you're not."

I grab her head and bash it into the island behind me. As she crumples to the floor, Jeremy tries to shoot me with one of his stupid bows. I catch the arrow at least a foot from my face. I turn it in my hand and thrust it into Elena's stomach. To make sure she stays down for a bit, I punch her in the nose. Blood covers my hand as I hear the bone crack. I speed to Jeremy and grab his bow, crushing it in my hand. I throw it across the living room where it lands in front of the television. Jeremy tries to throw a punch but I catch it in mine and use the momentum to twist and throw him over my shoulder. He lands on the floor with a loud thud. I speed on top of him. I hold down his arms with my feet and wrap my hands around his neck while the tears continue to stream down my face. I watch Elena stumbling out of the corner of my eye, trying to get off the floor. Right as she rises I look up at her, keeping my hold on Jeremy even firmer.

"Prepare to watch your brother die." I tell her barely above a whisper. I know she heard me because she launches herself at me.

I press down on the only windpipe Jeremy Gilbert has and watch as he struggles to catch his breath. Elena is about to make contact with me when suddenly I am lifted into someone's arms and sped away from the house. Everything starts to go by in a blur so I know whoever is carrying me is running vampire fast. I start to hit whoever it is on the chest but stop when I look up. I meet Stefan's eyes for a second before he looks up. I stop fighting and just let him cradle me easily in his arms. I try to stop the tears flowing down my face, but I can't. It's not possible. I close my eyes and try to picture something nice, anything nice, anyone nice. Samuel Fell's face pops into my head before I can stop it. I shake away the memory of the man I had once loved and wipe the tears off my face.

Stefan carries me for only a minute longer. I hear him go up two flights of stairs and open two doors. I feel myself being placed on a soft bed and when I open my eyes slightly, I see it is not my own bedroom I am in. It is Stefan's. He goes to close the door behind him but I speed towards it. He gets there first.

"Let me through. I have some unfinished business with Elena Gilbert." I wipe the tears from my face once more, trying to get back my intimidating factor.

"I can't let you do that." Stefan's face keeps its soft demeanor even though his voice is stern.

"Step away from the door, please." I bite my lip to keep it from quivering.

"I'm sorry, Emerson."

"They killed Kol! They stabbed him with that stupid white oak stake and watched him burn!" I remind him. The tears come once again. Stefan pulls me into his arms. I rest my head against his chest.

"I can't believe he's dead. Out of all of us I thought he'd be the last to go." I pause. "I just wanted more time with him."

"I know." Stefan runs his hand over my hair and rests his cheek on the top of my head. He holds me close to him. When my knees start to give out he slowly picks me off the floor and carries me back to the bed. He settles me down and sits down next to me.

"It's all my fault." I whisper. Stefan gives me a puzzled look as we lean against the headboard.

"I'm the reason Kol came back to town. I'm the reason he was already so close to us when he heard about the cure. I'm the reason he's dead." I purse my quivering lips. I rest my head against the wood behind me.

"No. The only reason he is dead is because he wanted to kill Jeremy and Elena would have never let that happen." Stefan tells me. I shake my head.

"I should have just stayed at the Gilbert house so I could have lured him out of the house. So I could've saved him." I pause. "But now there is nothing I can do other than accept the blame. It's my fault… and I hate myself because of it."

"Em, don't talk like that. You know you're just going to overwhelm yourself and start contemplating turning off your emotions." Stefan looks at me.

"Maybe I should. Maybe I should run as a far as possible from this town and turn my damn emotions off." I wipe my face. "If shit like this keeps happening, it's going to be inevitable."

"Stop it." Stefan takes my face in his hands so my eyes meet his. "Emerson MacIntyre, you are my best friend in the entire world and I will not let you throw away your humanity just because you think it's inevitable. Nothing is inevitable. You will always have a choice and as long as I live, I will make sure you do not make the wrong choice and go back to being a ripper."

"Stefan, I…" I start to look away from him. He pulls back my attention.

"Have I ever told you about my best friend Lexi?" Stefan asks me. I shake my head no. "She is the one who helped me get through my ripper phase. When I was around her she made me want to be a better person. I didn't think I would ever find that again, until…"

"Elena." I finish nodding my head.

"No, you." Stefan pauses. "Since you've gotten here all you've made me want to do is to fight harder, to not turn back to drinking human blood. Especially after what happened with Elena. And I want to do the same for you. I will be damned if I let you turn off your emotions."

"That's not something you can control." I whisper.

"Well I am going to try my hardest to make sure you don't loose yourself, Emerson. I value you too much to loose you right now." Stefan meets my eyes. The feeling I get in my stomach is indescribable. I lean into Stefan's shoulder and he wraps his arm around mine. I nod my head and look up at my best friend.

"Okay." I rest my head back down on his shoulder and close my eyes. I realize that I have stopped crying. My tears have started to dry. I smile to myself knowing that Stefan, my best friend, is the one who pulled me back from the brink of breaking.

I let myself fall asleep in my best friends arms knowing what the next couple of days have in store. Jeremy's mark will grow and everybody will fight for the right to the cure. Whatever they choose, I don't care. I care about my family and my best friends. And I will do anything it takes to protect them, the ones I love. Anything it takes.

****Bum, bum, bum. First off I want to apologize for killing Kol but it helped Emerson realize who she truly cares for and who she needs to focus on protecting. And I threw in a nice Steferson scene where he brought her back from the brink of becoming a ripper again. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter will cover Into The Wild (4x13). Coming up you will see some Emerson/Klaus, Emerson/Stefan, Emerson/Rebekah, Emerson/Jeremy, and possibly some Emerson/ Elijah and Emerson/Damon scenes (Not all romantic of course). I might break up the next couple parts into segments because I don't want to start season 5 without seeing what they're planning. And the premier still a couple months away. I really hoped you enjoyed reading. I probably won't update until after the weekend but I might do a filler chapter. So PLEASE review with suggestions, comments, thoughts. I love hearing what you think. I am requesting at least ****two**** reviews like always before I update again. Thank you for reading!**


	19. Into The Wild (Part 1)

**Into The Wild (Part 1)**

**~2003~**

_I get out of the taxi and reach my hand out for Mishelle. She's still trying to wiggle her way out of the car. We've already been to several bars tonight but at Mishelle's request I agreed to go to one more. I let my best friend lean on me for support as we walk into the bar. She slumps down next to me and her head rolls back involuntarily. I sit her up straight and sit back down. She's a little more intoxicated than I had thought._

_Mishelle leans over the wooden bar and starts to try to flirt herself some free drinks. I watch several of her hopeless attempts before compelling the bartender to get me a beer and Mishelle some ale. Luckily she isn't sober enough to know the difference and chugs the entire cup within a couple of seconds. I smile and listen tentatively as she tries to tell me a story about a random prince. It takes her a couple of tries but she finally gets past the first sentence. She gives me a victorious smile and I order another ale for her. I want her to have some fun, just not too much fun._

_I make some small talk with some other people at the bar and as I turn back around to introduce Mishelle, she gets whisked away by some guy who wants her to dance with him. And Mishelle is usually very compliant, especially when she's been drinking. I try to keep my eyes on her the entire time she's on the dance floor but she slips out of my sight for a second. I jump off my seat and start through the crowded mass. I find Mishelle biting into her dancing partners neck and see that she's already sttarted to drink vigorously. I pull her off of the man and compel him to forget what she had just done to him. I escort her off the dance floor and back to our seats at the bar._

"_Do you want to go home now?" I ask Mishelle. She seems to mull the idea over before shaking her head excitedly._

"_Nope. I'm having too much fun." Mishelle tells me as she grabs onto the bar with both hands and tries to sway her hips slowly. I realize she's trying to spin the chair and hold onto her shoulder. I give her the glass of ale and attempt to sell it off as vodka. She doesn't buy it._

"_Come on, seriously? Can't I just have a little fun?" Mishelle pleads with me. I laugh and nod my head. She tugs my arm to get me onto the dance floor._

"_Fine. Two songs then we're going home." I start to dance with Mishelle. _

"_Then we better dance our heart out." Mishelle says as she leans in towards me. She smiles and flips her hair, sending over her shoulder._

_I dance with Mishelle for five songs after her pleading me to stay. I know that Mishelle just wants to have fun and lately she hasn't been able to do that. Not since was Marcus was murdered. She needs one fun night out and I gave it to her. She falls asleep on my shoulder in the cab. She doesn't stir when I try to wake her so I carry her inside. I tuck her into her bed and turn off her bedroom lights. I take a shower before going to bed to wash off the smell of alcohol and sweat. Tonight was exactly what Mishelle needed. I don't want her to loose herself because she lost her brother. I want to keep her around for as long as possible. She is my best friend after all._

**~2010~**

Dreams are usually my enemy. But last night, my dream was more of a sanctuary. Instead of dreaming about the past I dreamt about the future. A future where Kol and Finn were alive and we lived happily together once again. It was nice to live that kind of life out, even if it was only in my mind.

When my eyes finally open I'm surprised to find myself still in Stefan's bedroom. I look around and see that he is still sound asleep next to me. I sit up slowly and slip off the side of the bed quietly. I speed out the door and towards the stairs. Damon appears before me as I start to descend the stairs.

"Wow, Little Original. Stefan managed to get you and Rebekah into his bed. I have to say that I'm quiet impressed." Damon smirks. I roll my eyes.

"If you haven't heard, your little girlfriend and her brother killed Kol. Stefan was the only one to stop me from ripping them limb from limb." I pause. "That was last night, though. Today I'm kind of still in the mood for revenge."

"Can't let you do that, Little Original." Damon moves up a step towards me. "You see, after Kol died, Jeremy's mark grew. He is the only one who holds the map to the cure."

"Great. The faster I find him, the faster I can put an end to this stupid scavenger hunt." I smile.

"Come on, I know that if you had the chance you would think about taking it too." Damon eyes me.

"Never. Unlike your precious Elena, I'm not afraid to admit what I am. I've accepted that who I am a long time ago."

"Some people aren't okay being a ripper like you."

"That's enough, you two. Emerson, I need to talk to you." Stefan comes up behind us. He places a hand on my shoulder and I turn to face him.

"Best you listen to him, before you do something you regret." Damon antagonizes. I glare at him, debating on whether or not I should snap his neck. Stefan's hand grabs hold of mine before I can lift my arms. He pulls me back to his room and closes the door behind him. I sit on the bed and cross my right leg over my left.

"Damon is right. You can't kill Elena or Jeremy, not right now anyways." Stefan faces me. "Too many people want it."

"I know but what am I supposed to do? I can't let them think that they can kill Kol and just away with it." I pause. "They have to pay for what they did."

"We have the map to the cure finally. We are all going to find it and I want you to come with us as long as you promise not to hurt anyone." Stefan sits down next to us. He waits for me to answer. I sigh.

"Fine. Who else is going?"

"My brother, Elena, Jeremy, Bonnie, Rebekah, and Shane." Stefan lists the names.

"The creepy professor?" I throw him suspicious look.

"Yes. He's the only one who actually knows where the cure is." Stefan nods his head.

"Great. So I'm agreeing to go on some scavenger hunt with a bunch of people who want me dead or cured?" I shake my head.

"Not everybody wants you dead."

"Excluding you and Rebekah, I'm pretty sure they do."

"Damon doesn't." Stefan assures me.

"Wanna bet?" I smile at Stefan.

"I wont let anyone hurt you." Stefan promises.

"I can protect myself, Stefan. I just want you to know that if you end up deciding that your alliance with your ex girlfriend and brother are more important then your alliance with Rebekah and I, I will not hesitate to put you and every single one of your friends down." I stand from the bed and use my vampire speed to get out of the house before Stefan can stop me. I run home and decide to take a shower before I start packing for the trip.

I get into the shower and start scrubbing myself clean. As I'm rinsing the shampoo out of my hair I hear a faint noise coming from downstairs. I manage to make out the sound of the front door opening then closing and a couple of footsteps. I jump out of the shower and pull a towel around my body. I tie it tight under my arms and start out of my room. I speed down the stairs only to come face to face with Jeremy Gilbert.

"So, what? Now that you killed one Original vampire you think that you have the talent to take on another? Damn, Jeremy Gilbert, I never took you for the kind of guy to try to pull something like this off. But I respect the effort." I shake my head and cross my arms over my chest, holding up my towel.

"I'm not here to try to kill you. I'm here to apologize." Jeremy glances down at me in my towel and steps towards me. I step back quickly.

"Well I'm calling bullshit. You have never given a damn about me before." I laugh out loud. "And you know what the crazy part is, I actually started to care. I started care about finding the cure so that your pathetic sister could take it. So you didn't have the urge to kill her anymore. But now, after pulling off that stunt last night, I don't give a crap about what you do or who takes the goddamn cure. I care about Stefan, though. He made me promise not to hurt you or Elena. So for his sake I will not kill you right now."

"The hunters curse would stop you from doing that anyways." Jeremy backs away towards the door. I speed in front of him and meet his eyes.

"You seriously think I give a damn about the hunters curse. I was willing to kill you last night and I am willing to kill you now." I purse my lips. "But I wont, because of the promise I made to Stefan. So we'll go, we'll find the cure, I'll pretend not to hate you or your sister, but after that's done, consider any friendship we may have had over. Once we get back, I wont give you a second thought. Now I suggest you leave before I loose control of anger brewing inside of me. Because I can get ugly when I get angry."

Jeremy hesitates but he finally turns around and opens the door.

"One more thing you should remember, Jer." I smile at him. "Payback's a bitch."

Jeremy leaves right away. I finally breathe out once I hear his car pull away from my house. I go back upstairs and finish showering quickly before anyone else can make a surprising appearance. I get dressed into something cozier than my last outfit. I know that wherever we are going, it won't be too warm. I keep my luggage down to one small bag only filled with two changes of clothing and a couple of short stakes and a knife. While I trust two out of the seven other people going, the other seven are the ones I need to be aware of.

Stefan pulls up on his motorcycle a while later. I don't hesitate to jump on the back with him. He drives to the airport where we are informed that we'll be flying to Nova Scotia, Canada.

Over an hour later we land in Nova Scotia and drive out to the coast where a few boats are waiting to take us out to some mysterious island. Professor Shane had leaked that the island is where we'll be finding the cure. I purposely ride in the boat that contains Stefan, Rebekah, and Shane. They are the ones least likely to betray me before we touch down on the island. I reluctantly help Jeremy pull their boat up onto the island so it doesn't float away.

"Thank you." Jeremy looks at me after we finish. I give him an empty look before walking away.

"You don't have to be such a bitch, Emerson. We're all here for the same reason, to find the cure." Elena steps in front of me. I purse my lips as my hands form fists at my sides.

"I am this close…" I hold my fingers a few millimeters apart. "…from ripping your head off, dear. If I were you, I'd have the good sense to shut the hell up."

Elena lets me walk past her. I find Stefan and Rebekah down the beach a bit. Rebekah watches as Stefan ties a piece of rope into a couple of knots. I sit on the piece of driftwood that Stefan is crouched by and pull my knees up to my chest.

"You okay?" Rebekah looks down at me. I look out over the ocean.

"Getting there. What about you?"

"I'm still having a very strong urge to kill Elena Gilbert." Rebekah smiles. I laugh lightly.

"Me too." I admit as Elena walks past us. Both Rebekah and I keep our eyes on her as she continues down the beach.

"You two aren't really helping." Stefan mutters as he focuses on his knot tying.

"I have faith that you can tie the knot on your own. Just remember; over then under, over then under." I smile at him.

"Giving Elena the evil eye is not really helping." Stefan clarifies.

"She killed my brother, tried to get you to put a dagger in my back. She's lucky all she's getting in the evil eye." Rebekah continues to watch Elena. I give Stefan a 'what can you do?' look.

"You know I can hear you, right?" Elena stops walking but doesn't face us.

"You know we don't care, right?" Rebekah responds. Elena drops her things to the floor angrily and runs towards Rebekah. I speed in front of my sister and watch as Elena points the white oak stake at my chest. I smile and meet her eyes for a second before grabbing her by the neck and slamming her onto the floor. I stand up straight.

"Go ahead, try and kill her. But then you'd have to face me. And I am way better at getting revenge." I look over my shoulder. "No offense, Rebekah."

"None taken." Rebekah grins at me. I turn on my heels and lock arms with her. We start towards the trees lining the beach. I know we could both use a break from Elena and her posse.

"I cannot believe her." Rebekah sighs as we walk between the trees. "She acts like she's all big and bad. She seriously thinks that because she managed to kill Kol, she can now take on two Originals at once."

"Speaking of Originals, where is your brother?" I look at Rebekah. She shrugs.

"I don't know. Probably decided to let us take on the task of dealing with these lunatics and finding the cure." Rebekah sits down on the floor after a minute of walking. I sit next to her.

"Do you think it'll be that easy? Get in, get the cure, get out?"

"No. I don't. Knowing the people on this island, I can tell there is going to be a lot more to it." Rebekah pauses. "That's why we have to stick together from now on, Emmy. It's us against them. Originals versus the norms."

"I know. And I'm sorry for anything that made you question you're importance to me." I apologize. Rebekah smiles and pulls me into a sisterly hug.

"Already forgotten. We need to find this cure and get the hell away from these people." Rebekah pulls away.

"Always and forever, right?" I smile at her and hold out my pinky finger.

"Always and forever." She wraps her finger around mine confirming that she pinky swears. We laugh and stand up.

Atticus Shane is already rounding everybody up when we get to the beachfront. I hang back with Rebekah just far enough to hear what the professor has to say. He instructs us that we'll be walking for a couple of days through the forest. I know that running would make everything go way faster but we have three humans among us. And even if they agreed, carrying them on our backs would slow us down anyways.

"Okay. We need to get going. We need the sunlight for as long as possible." Shane starts walking towards the trees. Everyone falls in line behind him. We end up walking in pairs. Bonnie walks beside Shane, Damon beside Elena, Stefan beside Rebekah, and I get stuck at the back with Jeremy. I can tell that he wants to talk but he has the good sense not to say a word. We walk for a while in almost complete silence before Shane realizes that his phone has lost it's connection.

"Well, that's a good sign." Damon says sarcastically.

"Is anyone else is a little creeped out?" Elena asks after a minute of silence.

"So then leave. Out of everyone, your presence is the least necessary." Rebekah calls out as our group starts to clump up.

"Please don't start." Stefan pleads.

"I'm merely stating the facts. Jeremy has the tattoo on his body, Bonnie is the witch that unseals the cure, Shane is the human compass, and we have the tombstone which tells us god knows what. And Elena has no point." Rebekah smiles.

"What about me?" Damon asks. I volunteer a reason.

"You have a nice behind." I smile to myself. Damon nods acceptingly and I catch Stefan smile.

We continue walking even after it gets dark. Shane wants to get as far as possible before we hunker down for the night. He says he has a place we can stay overnight but I'm a little cautious. I've barely even met the man and now he wants us all to trust him because he says so. I try not to just give out my trust people have to earn it.

"Centuries after Qetsiyah died, there were these miners who were excavating a well on the island. Suddenly went mad. They bled themselves dry. No apparent reason. So, the legend spread that these miners, in exchange for a drop of their blood, saw visions of their lost loved ones in the well they were digging. The world traveled and explorers sought out the well to see if the legend was true." Shane explains.

"I heard about that. Although the story I heard, had nothing to do with magic. Just crazy miners." I explain.

"Was the well magic?" Bonnie asks the professor Shane.

"Well, some people believe the voices of lost souls were just a wind vortex whipping through the caves, and the visions were caused by inhaling the island's poisonous plant life." Shane clarifies.

"What do you believe?" Elena questions.

"I believe in magic. My wife and son died within months of each other. And so… I decided to try to the well out for myself." Shane admits.

"You went down into the well?" Stefan speaks up.

"I offered up my blood and I waited. I saw my wife. I saw her eyes, her smile. My blood let me see her again." Shane sighs. I feel kind of bad for him. I wouldn't know how to handle it I knew that I could see my parents or brothers again.

"Yeah, got it. Don't eat the poisonous flowers." Damon continues walking and we follow.

"Wait. Stop. Is everybody paying attention?" Shane asks aloud. I follow his line of sight and see what he's talking about. I pick up a large rock and throw it onto the net trap sitting a few feet in front of Damon. It triggers and swings up into the trees.

"First lesson of survival; stay together and keep your eyes open." I smile at Damon when he looks back at me. The group slowly starts walking. When I realize that Jeremy is hanging back, I look back suspiciously.

"What's wrong?" I ask the younger Gilbert. He looks up at me.

"I'm out of water." Jeremy tells me. I sigh and walk over to him. I pull the thermos out of my bag and hand it to him.

"Don't mistaken this as me forgiving you." I say as he takes the bottle.

"Do you believe everything that Shane is saying about the well being magic?"

"I don't know. We've all lost someone so having the chance to see them again? I kind of get it." I shrug. Jeremy drinks from the thermos and I turn around to start following the others. When I hear a branch snap I face Jeremy once again. I don't know why don't hesitate to save his life when I see the mysterious man standing feet in front of him release an arrow from his bow. I push Jeremy out of the way just in time.

"I can't believe I just did that." I shake my head and step away from Jeremy. We walk back to the man and am surprised to see a hatchet in his back. I share a concerned look with Jeremy.

"What just happened?"

"Somebody just saved my life." Jeremy sighs.

"Technically two people did." I respond without thought. Jeremy clears his throat.

"Thank you for doing that."

"No problem." I force a smile before running to catch up with the group.

Jeremy decides it's best to tell everyone about what had happened with that mysterious man. They all have different opinions, mostly that we should just start keeping an eye out for traps and men waving bow and arrows around. We walk for at least another half hour before we reach a clearing in the woods. Near the center is a small barn looking building. There is enough space for all of us to set up camp.

"What is this place?" Stefan asks.

"According to island lore, a group of college kids came here for spring break. A few weeks later, they were all found dead, completely drained of blood." Shane summarizes the folktale.

"Well, tragic for them, brilliant for us." Rebekah pauses smiling at everybody. "Who sleeps where?"

Everybody takes this as the signal to disperse and unpack. I go to a secluded area with Rebekah and help her set up the tent we'll be sharing. We manage to get it up before anyone else has barely even opened their packs. When I look up I find myself watching Elena and Damon kissing. Barf.

I throw my stuff into the tent and find Stefan sitting by the campfire. I watch him for a second before walking up to him. All his movements and facial expressions suggest that he's nervous.

"Will you take the cure?" I sit next to Stefan. "I mean if you become human, you don't have to worry about becoming a ripper again."

"I've thought about it. And I think that if I had the chance I would definitely take it." Stefan admits.

"Thought so. You'll also have the plus of getting Elena back and living happily ever after. And by that I mean having an okay marriage and popping out a few miniature Salvatore's and Gilbert's." I joke. Stefan smiles.

"If I take the cure, it will not be for Elena. It would be for me." Stefan looks at me. "What about you?"

"I could never leave Elijah and Klaus. They're my family."

"You know that Rebekah is thinking about taking it, right?" Stefan questions.

"Yeah. I'm not mad though. I just want her to be happy, like really truly happy for once. And if getting back her humanity does that, she should take the cure." I nod my head. I watch the flames of the fire dance with each other for a moment. "I admit, being a vampire can suck. Especially when you're fighting the urge to become the worst version of yourself, but I couldn't leave this life behind. It's all I have."

"You have me." Stefan takes my hand. I bite my lip and nod my head slowly.

"For now. But by the time Elena does take the cure, becomes human, and comes running back to you I don't know if I'll still be around." I kiss him lightly on the cheek without thinking it through first. "Thanks for the thought though. I appreciate having someone like you in my life again."

I stand from the log we'd been sitting on and go back to the tent. When I get inside I see that Rebekah isn't there. I debate on going looking for her but end up deciding against it. I pull off all of my extra jackets and slide into my sleeping bag. I pull it up to my ears and face towards the forest. I just want to find the cure and get the hell off this island.

****This is only part 1 of Into The Wild. Part 2 will be up soon. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know that not much happened but next chapter will definitely have some drama. And Niklaus will finally make his choice. **

**Also make sure to check out my other TVD fan fiction I just started titled **_**Secrets, Lies, And Blood**_**.**

**Please review. I appreciate all the reviews I have gotten. I'm hoping to reach 100 reviews within the next few chapters because we're so close. I love reading them so much. Thank you for the support. I'm requesting TWO**** reviews like always before I update again. **

**&I'll be putting up all of Emerson's outfits on the collage. The link is on my profile. It also has the pictures of what all my OC's look like. Make sure to check it out.**

**Thank you for reading!**


	20. Into The Wild (Part 2)

**Into The Wild (Part 2)**

**~1565~**

_Samuel and I have been courting for more than two years. Our relationship became more serious when he asked me to meet his parents. His father being the town's mayor made me become over anxious but the night ended up going great. With his parent's blessing, we began to make more pubic appearances as a couple. When he asked me out to a special dinner one day, I thought nothing of it._

_I choose to wear one of my fancier dresses since he did use the word special to describe the dinner date. The nerves grow in my stomach as the set dinnertime approaches. Samuel arrives in a simple carriage at my house. Even though his father is the mayor, it does not mean they have too much money. He directs the driver to go back to his house. At first I think that maybe the dinner isn't as fancy as he made it seem. But then I see his backyard._

_The normally large lawn seems bigger when I step around from the side of Sam's house. Lanterns cover every corner that could have possibly been darkened by the disappearance of the sun. A two person table sits in the middle of the yard. I recognize the plates and silverware must have been brought in from another country for the craftsmanship suggests so. I sit at the table after Samuel pulls out my chair for me. He helps me scoot my legs under the table before sitting on the opposite side. He pours each of us a glass of wine and suggests a toast. Sam holds his cup out towards me at eyesight. I push out my cup towards him as well._

"_A toast to living life the way we wanted and to finding true love in the last place you thought possible." Samuel toasts. I smile as I drink from my cup._

"_This is very nice, Samuel." I compliment as I put down my glass. A woman dressed in a head to toe gray dress comes out and places a loaf of bread on the table between us._

"_It is all for you, my love." Samuel tips his head forward slightly, gesturing to me._

"_It is all very appreciated then." I watch Samuel cut the bread into even slices. He butters a piece and hands it to me. I let my teeth sink into the bread._

_A different girl wearing the same gray dress as the first brings out the main course. I realize that wearing gray would have led to a very big disaster. After Samuel and I have finished eating, the two girls come back out to the yard and collect the used dishes. I thank them as they head back into the house behind me. I smile at Samuel when I see him looking suspicious._

"_Are you still hungry, my love?" Samuel asks me. I shake my head._

"_I could not eat another piece of bread, even if I wanted to." I explain. I run a hand over my flat stomach. If I ate like this every night, I would not have this figure._

"_Good. You can get grouchy when you get hungry and I can't have that when I am about to ask you a very important question." Samuel starts._

"_What ever do you mean?" I glance at him, my eyes filled with curiosity. There is no mistake of what question he is talking about when Sam stands from his chair and gets down on one knee by my seat. _

"_Emerson MacIntyre, I love you. I fell in love with you, the first day I met you when we ran into each other at the market. You have been on my mind more than anyone ever has. I know that I need you to be happy. I know that I need to spend the rest of forever with you." Samuel pauses and reaches into his pocket. A small wooden box is nearly concealed in his hands when he pulls his hand back out. He opens the box to reveal a silver ring inside. "Emmy, will you marry me?"_

_I look down at him in utter shock. I was not expecting this, not yet, not tonight, not before I got the chance to tell him the truth about who I really am. Panic sets in when I realize that when Samuel said forever, he had no idea that it truly meant forever. I try to keep my breathing calm as I search for the correct answer. I love Samuel more than words can describe and even though he is ready, I am not. I do not want to loose him, especially after he proposed, just because I'm a vampire. More than anything, I wish there was a way I could go back in time that way I could find and take the cure. At least then I would not have to worry about falling in love with a human. Stories like this never end well._

**~2010~**

The next morning, I slip out of the tent quietly and quickly without waking Rebekah. When I get out of the tent I realize that no one else is awake. I managed to sleep well the night before after getting past the fact that Elena could have tried something while I was sleeping. I look around the campground, searching for any sign of anybody being awake at this hour. Then I see that Jeremy's tent is opened. I peek inside to find that all his stuff is still lying around but Jeremy isn't.

"Jeremy?" I call out as quietly as I can manage. I don't get any response so I try again. And again.

"What's going on out here? Are you trying to disturb everyone's sleep?" Elena slips out of her tent. I smile at the naïve girl and cross my arms over my chest.

"Sorry. I guess I was being rude. Excuse me." I bump into her shoulder as hard as I can as I walk past her. I look over my shoulder. "Oh. I almost forgot to mention that your precious brother is missing."

"What do you mean, missing?" Elena stomps over to me. She throws me a dirty look as if I did something.

"You're pathetic. If I really wanted to kill the poor kid, I already would have." I cock my head to the side. A look of realization appears on Elena's face.

"Then where is he?"

"How am I supposed to know? I woke up and realized that he was gone. And now he's no where in sight." I explain. I turn on my heels and walk towards Stefan's tent. I kick the side of it until his head pops out of the front.

"What?" Stefan rubs his eyes that are still filled with sleep.

"The hunter is missing and in turn so is the map to the cure." I tell him before waking up Rebekah. Elena awakes Damon, Shane, and Bonnie.

We decide to split up to search for Jeremy. I get stuck with Bonnie while the rest head off in other directions. We search the trail for a bit before turning back. There was no sign of him ever setting foot on that path so we know it's no use continuing to look that way.

"Did you find anything?" Elena asks us as we step into the clearing. Bonnie and I shake our heads.

"He's not on the trail." Bonnie sighs. Shane comes out of Jeremy's tent holding up a bag.

"His gear's still here." Shane points out the obvious.

"He's not at the quarry, either." Stefan announces as he and Rebekah step into the clearing.

"Split up and keep searching. We need that kid to find the cure." Damon informs us.

"Yeah. The fact that he is Elena's only sibling has no importance. All that matters is that tattoo on his arm. Right, Damon?" I smile at the raven-haired man before starting back into the woods. He shoots me a dirty look before I can turn away.

I wait for whoever is to join me a couple feet into the forest. I lean against a random tree until I hear footsteps behind me. My face falls when I turn to find that Elena has joined Stefan and Rebekah.

"Oh, joy." I smile sarcastically and continue walking between the trees. Rebekah walks beside me.

"You know that the chance of them giving up the cure easily isn't very big." Rebekah whispers after we put some distance between us and the ex lovebirds.

"If you really want that cure, Rebekah, you have to be willing to fight for it." I look at her. She nods knowingly causing her hair to bounce around her face slightly.

"I know. And I am ready to do pretty much anything to get my hands on it."

"I'm aware." I purse my lips.

"Jeremy! Jeremy!" Elena yells out. "Jeremy!"

"Why don't you yell louder? Maybe we haven't drawn enough attention to ourselves already." Rebekah turns back to the older Gilbert.

"I'm sorry, and how are you helping?" Elena pushes her way past us. Rebekah follows after her and I hang back with Stefan.

"Emerson and I are stronger than you and faster than you and I am quite certain I can charm the islanders a lot easier than you." Rebekah lists off her points.

"Not disagreeing on the easy part." Elena scoffs. I'm surprised when Rebekah lets her statement go.

"All right, we get it. You two hate each other. Can we just keep going, please?" Stefan tries to play the mediator.

"I don't hate her, Stefan, I just can't stand her." I clarify with a light smile on my lips.

"And I tried to be her friend, but somehow, I ended up with a dagger in my back because I'm the evil one." Rebekah recalls.

"Technically, you didn't achieve evil status until you killed me." Elena contests. I watch as Elena walks right into a trip wire. I speed in front of her and stop the wooden weapon from impaling her. Elena and I share a glance.

"Nice catch." Stefan compliments.

"Thanks. I played softball for ten years once." I smile.

"No, really, thank you." Elena tries to catch her breath.

"I hope you and your brother don't make this a regular thing. Because after we get off this island I don't care what happens to you." I tell Elena. She steps away from the trap.

"I'm going to go back and check on Bonnie, see if she found anything. Be careful." Elena advises before walking off in the opposite direction.

"Good thing you caught that, Emmy. It would have been a pitiful way for her to die. She deserves an epic death." Rebekah grins at me. I swing the trap out of the way and start through the trees again.

"That's why I did it." I say. I don't even know if that's the truth. In the split second I had to react, I didn't think about why I was saving Elena, I just did.

"I'm going back because it is obvious that Jeremy isn't here." Rebekah sighs loudly. Stefan and I watch her walk in the same direct that Elena had a minute earlier.

"Do you think we'll find him?" Stefan asks me as we continue walking.

"Of course. How many places can there be for him to hide on an island?" I laugh lightly. I hope I didn't just jinx our search.

"I mean do you want to find him?"

"I want to find Tyler, Stefan. Mainly because I think that you and Rebekah should have a choice to take the cure if it's what you really wanted." I explain. Suddenly a stake comes flying out of nowhere towards me. Stefan manages to push me out of the way and against a nearby tree.

"Thanks but that wouldn't have killed me." I smile at Stefan.

"Sorry, force of habit." Stefan says. I feel a light tingle on my skin where his fingers linger on my waist. That's when I realize that his face is still only an inch or two from mine. The urge to kiss him pops into my head before I can stop it. I move away from the tree, away from Stefan.

"We should just go back. I don't think we're going to find Jeremy out here." I look around one last time then turn to Stefan. He nods. We walk back to the camp side by side silently. I find that Rebekah still hasn't entered the clearing when we near it. She waits against a tree for us and we continue into the clearing together.

"Where is everyone?" Elena questions us as we step into the clearing. Stefan, Rebekah, and I share a confused look.

"What are you talking about?" Stefan responds.

"Well, Bonnie's not here and Shane's stuff is gone." Elena clarifies.

"Oh my god." Rebekah pauses and uses her vampire speed to get to her bag over by our tent. "The tombstone is gone."

In a panic Rebekah runs into one of the larger tents. We follow her inside to see her searching through bags. I understand that she's looking for the tombstone but apparently Elena doesn't.

"What are you doing in my tent?" Elena enters the tent, angered by Rebekah's searching. Rebekah speeds in front of Elena and grabs her throat before Stefan can stop her.

"Where's the tombstone? What have you done with it?" Rebekah questions.

"What are you talking about?" Elena throws a confused look at Rebekah.

"Like it's not bloody obvious? All you people ever do is betray me and here you go again!" Rebekah's voice starts to rise. I can see tears forming in her eyes.

"Rebekah…" I put a reassuring hand on her arm. "She didn't take it."

"Was any of this real?" Rebekah drops Elena. "Or was it just a ploy to distract me while Shane ran off with the tombstone?"

"You think I would do that? You think I would let some psychopath run off with the cure? Every single moment of my last 146 years has been ruled by the pain of being a vampire." We all look at Stefan as he continues. "And this cure ends that. It ends the guilt and it ends the suffering. And you really think I would jeopardize that?"

"Fine. You didn't take it. But I don't trust her." Rebekah gestures to Elena. They stare at each other for a moment before Elena bends down and takes out the white oak stake from under it.

"I didn't take it, but here." Elena extends the stake towards Rebekah. "Consider this peace offering."

"Don't you get it, Elena? There is no peace. We're all screwed." Rebekah explains.

"Exactly, Rebekah. We're screwed. Bonnie is gone. Shane's got the tombstone. Jeremy is missing. Who knows if Damon's coming back? So, us four, right here, this is all we've got. So we're either in this together… or it's over. For all of us." Elena holds out the stake again and Rebekah takes it. Rebekah and I step out of the tent. Stefan and Elena follow soon after.

"We need to find the cure before Bonnie's spell wears off. It can't keep Klaus in my house forever." Elena sighs. I turn to her.

"What are you talking about?" I glare at Elena. She looks at Stefan. Reluctantly Stefan speaks up.

"Uh… Bonnie trapped Niklaus inside Elena's house using a spell so he wouldn't hurt anyone." Stefan explains.

"Are you serious?" I look at Stefan and Rebekah.

"We just didn't want him to hurt Jeremy before we could get the cure." Elena tries to help.

"Really? And let me guess, when you got back from this stupid island you were just going to shove the cure down his throat so he wouldn't hurt anyone else?" I step closer to Elena.

"Emerson, we were just trying to keep…" Stefan starts.

"Jeremy safe?" I turn to him. "Of course. I should have suspected that. You didn't tell me about Klaus being in some magical trap because you knew I wouldn't have come with you."

"I have to think of my brother." Elena says.

"And I have to think of my family and what's best for us. All of which none of you guys care about, except maybe Rebekah. But maybe I'm wrong about that too." I purse my lips.

"I didn't want my brother being in charge of the cure." Rebekah bites her lip.

"I'm going home. Good luck finding the cure." I shake my head. I speed to my tent and collect my things. I run out of the tent and start running through the forest. Stefan appears in from of me.

"Don't be mad." Stefan puts a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm not mad. I'm just starting to understand where your true alliance is with." I push past Stefan.

"I don't Elena to be under the sire bond. I want her to be able to know what is real and what isn't." Stefan calls after me. I turn on my heels to face him.

"I know, Stefan. And I understand that your love for Elena trumps all right now." I cross my arms over my chest.

"Elena should be able to…"

"You need to get over her. Even if she does take the cure and comes running back to you, how are you both going to feel knowing that at one time she was in love with your brother?" I pause. "I hope she chooses you, Stefan. I desperately want you to be happy because you are my best friend. But you should start thinking that she might choose the latter. You need to find a way to be happy without her."

"Emerson…"

"It's fine, I'm fine, and we're fine. I'm going home."

I speed away before he can stop me. I go to the beach and jump into one of the three boats that are still waiting on the island's beach. I push off and quickly get back to the mainland. I catch the soonest flight back to Virginia and the plane lands an hour later.

I drive straight from the airport to Elena's house. I park on the street in front of the house and walk up the steps then through the front door. When I see Klaus in the living room, I start towards him. I hug him before he can stop me. His hands rest on my waist as my hands wrap around his neck.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know they put you in here, I swear." I pull away.

"I figured that they wouldn't have told you, love." Klaus smiles lightly. My heart skips a beat when his hand brushes my cheek.

"I came back as soon as I heard." I tell him. He nods and steps back.

"Thank you. But there is no use. The spell will wear off… eventually." Klaus explains.

"Are you okay?" I question him as we sit on the couch.

"I'm fine other than the fact that I'm trapped in an invisible box." Niklaus looks at me. I swallow my nerves as he takes my hand. "One plus of being stuck in here is that I had time to think."

"About what?" I ask even though I already know the answer. His thumb caresses the top of my hand for a second.

"About you. About the decision." Klaus pauses. "I've made my choice."

"Okay…" I brace myself for any possibility. I have to keep in mind that I just want him to be happy, no matter who he chooses.

"I have loved you practically since the first day I met you. All I've ever wanted is for us to have a life together." Klaus leans in towards me until our faces are inches apart. "That hasn't changed at all. I love you Emerson MacIntyre and I choose you. I will always choose you."

I can't help but smile. I purse my lips and finally give in to the urge to kiss him. Our lips meet for a couple of seconds. It's the most perfect kiss I've ever experience. I pull away slightly before kissing him again. I wrap my arms around his neck and he pulls me closer to him. We kiss until I feel out of breath. I pull back just far enough where our lips are barely brushing each other's. I grin wide and laugh lightly.

"That was…" I start.

"Perfect." Klaus finishes. I bite my lip.

"I was going to say amazing." I tell him. He smiles and pulls me in for another short kiss.

"I love you, Emmy."

"I love you too, Klaus."

****Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it was short but Klaus finally decided to choose Emerson. Awwww. The next chapter will cover Down The Rabbit Hole (4x14) I appreciate all the reviews I've been getting. The support has been amazing and I love reading them. Hoping to reach 100 reviews soon because we are so close. I'm requesting ****two**** reviews like always. Thank you for reading!**

**And make sure to check out the collage of Emmy's outfits and my OC's. The link is on my profile.**


	21. Down The Rabbit Hole

**Down The Rabbit Hole**

**~1567~**

_I inhale deeply and put my lips to my wrist. I bite down until I feel my fangs puncture my skin. The taste of blood fills my mouth quickly and I pull my wrist away. I look up at Samuel who is sitting next to me on the couch. He smiles lightly at me._

"_Are you sure about this?" I ask Sam. "Once you do this, you cannot go back."_

"_I am sure. I want to be able to spend the rest of my life with you." Samuel pauses. "When I said forever in my vows, I meant forever."_

"_I love you."_

"_I love you too." Samuel cups my face in his hands and pulls me into a light kiss. I pull away and lift my bleeding wrist to his lips. He drinks only for a couple of seconds before stopping. I wipe a drop of blood off of the corner of his mouth._

"_Now what?" Samuel asks after a minute of silence._

"_Now we wait for the blood to move through your body. Then I kill you." I purse my lips lightly._

_Samuel runs to the market to kill time. I wait on the couch patiently until he comes back. He sits down on the couch next to me and takes my hands in his._

"_I'm ready to die for you." Samuel whispers. _

_I nod my head slowly and stand from the couch. I move behind Sam and place my hands lightly on his chin and head. I close my eyes as I twist my hands quickly in opposite directions. The snap reaches my ears at the same time as Samuel's body goes limp. I lay him down on the couch and grab the prepared bottle of human blood from the kitchen. I sit by his head and wait patiently for his eyes to open. _

_He's only known about my true species for a month now. I decided to tell him the truth a couple of days after he proposed. There was no way that I was going to marry someone that didn't know about vampires. Samuel was the one who became relentless in becoming a vampire. He kept bringing it up everyday until I finally agreed to give him what he wanted._

_I know that with Samuel becoming a vampire change is inevitable. He will have to learn control and how to deal with everything being heightened. I can help him though. I've helped a few people through their transition from human life to the life of the undead. I just hope not too many things change. I can't loose Samuel. I think he might be my true love._

**~2010~**

The sound of the front door shutting wakes me up. When my eyes open I realize I'm still leaning against Klaus on the couch. I sit up quickly and look around. Klaus smiles at me when our eyes meet. On impulse I lean in and kiss him lightly on the lips. After a second, I pull away slowly. I hear someone clear their throat and face forward to see Caroline standing in the kitchen.

"Back so soon?" Niklaus smiles as he rests an arm over my shoulder. I shrug it off quickly and lean forward.

"Just came to make sure you were still stuck in here" Caroline turns around and grabs something off the table. I can see she's holding her phone. "And to get this."

"Have you heard from Elena or anybody else?" I ask her. Caroline shakes her head.

"No. Not for a while." Caroline throws me a curious look. "Why?"

"Right before I left they…" I get cut off by Caroline's phone rings. She apologizes quietly and answers. I don't bother listening at first but then I hear something that catches my attention.

"…Jeremy's tattoo, but we just can't translate the map." Elena explains.

"Unless you get the Hunter's sword from Klaus." Caroline finishes.

"Exactly."

"I'll find it, don't worry. Just e-mail me photos of Jeremy's tattoo. I'll find the sword, and I'll call you back." I stare at Caroline as she talks on the phone. They hang up quickly and Caroline turns towards Klaus and I. I open my mouth to talk but Klaus beats me to it.

"Need my help with anything, love?" Klaus asks with a wide smirk on his lips. I ignore the very tiny pang of jealousy I feel deep down.

"Nope." Caroline smiles at us and walks out of the house. Niklaus stares after her for a few seconds, slightly amused.

"Do you think she'll find it?" I ask Klaus after I hear Carolines car pull out of the driveway.

"I don't know. She's a resourceful girl." Niklaus shrugs and clasps his hands in his lap. I bite my lip.

"You know they would be stupid enough to try to shove that cure down your throat."

"I'll be out of this wretched box by the time they get back." Niklaus says confidently.

"How can you be so sure of that?" I stand up and walk into the kitchen. Luckily I'm not the one trapped in the invisible cage.

"That cure is supposed to be well hidden. This trap that the witch set will only last for a few days. They're running out of time, and by the sound of things, they're not any closer to coming home with the cure in hand." Klaus relaxes on the couch and puts his feet up on the coffee table. I open the refrigerator and dig for only a second before finding a blood bag at the back. I pull it out and after I pull off the cap I drink at least half of the bag. Klaus looks at me skeptically.

"Are you going to share?"

"I don't know." I weigh the bag in my hand and speed to the wall of the invisible box. I hold out the bag to where I know he can reach it. "Am I?"

"My vote is yes." Niklaus sits up. I wave the bag inside the trap, daring him to take it.

"Go ahead, love." I mimic his voice with a smile on my face. He speeds to the wall and I pull back the bag to where he can't reach it. He tilts his head in amusement.

"Not funny, love." Niklaus sounds serious but the grin on his face says otherwise.

"I would beg to differ." I sigh and hold the bag into the box. "Here."

"Thanks, love." Niklaus reaches for it but I pull back.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I hold out the bag for him again. "Here."

"I'm not falling for that again." Niklaus turns around and walks back towards the couch. I can tell he's not in the mood for games.

"I really am…" I take one step into the living room. Niklaus takes his chance and speeds over to me. As his hand around my wrist I am pulls me into the living room. I bump into Niklaus and when his eyes meet mine I feel my heart skip a beat. I hate those blue eyes right now. "…sorry."

"I forgive you." Niklaus smiles as he runs his hand over my cheek through my hair and rests it on the back of my neck. He draws my lips to his slowly. It starts off soft and slightly delicate but then it becomes more intense. Niklaus guides me over to the wall where we continue to kiss. Both of his hands move to my waist. I smile as I feel his cold fingertips slip between my shirt and pants. We continue to kiss until I pull away.

"Caroline is probably going to be back any minute now." I purse my lips.

"I don't care." Niklaus kisses me shortly.

"I do. I don't want her walking in on us." Once I break our skin contact, I feel cold.

"That's how people learn to knock." He smiles deviously. I roll my eyes but quickly give in to the urge to kiss him.

He starts to kiss me back the second our lips meet. I wrap my arms comfortably around his neck and run my fingers through his golden hair. His hands squeeze my waist firmly closing any kind of gap between us. Niklaus lifts me off the floor just enough to speed me over to the couch. Klaus lands on top of me as we lay on the sofa. I don't let him get comfy. I roll over a couple seconds later so I'm on top. We continue to kiss passionately as his Niklaus' hands run up and down my back, resting on my bare skin showing between my pants and shirt. It doesn't take him long to start tugging at the hem of my shirt. I let him pull my top up over my head and he throws it to the other side of the living room. His hands linger on my as we carry on with our make out session.

The front door swings open giving me just enough time to speed to the other side of the room and pick up her shirt off the floor. Caroline and Tyler walk through the front door and I hold my shirt up to cover my bare stomach. When Caroline's eyes meet mine, she nearly drops the things she is holding. Tyler looks away nervously and I take the chance to pull my shirt over my head. Klaus sits up on the couch with a smug smile on his face.

"Sorry for not knocking. I thought that… I mean, I didn't think that you two would be" Caroline searches for the proper word. "Occupied."

"Yeah. Neither did I." I force a smile as I draw my hair out from under my top.

"Come to show how laughably impotent you are against me?" Klaus directs his question at Tyler.

"I'm just trying to help my friends find the cure." Tyler rebuffs.

"We found this in your attic." Caroline sits on the couch in the next room. I watch as Tyler sets something covered by a blanket on the table. Caroline reveals the hunters sword to be lying underneath. Tyler crosses his arms over his chest as I move out of the invisible box. I stand next to Tyler.

"You think that will bring you closer to finding the cure?" Klaus scoffs.

"Well, I was playing around with the handle on the way over here and I found this." Tyler unwraps the leather covering the handle and exposes a turning device.

"Do you know what that is?" I shift my weight.

"A cryptex." Caroline answers easily. "I've seen the da Vinci Code."

When I see a confused look on Tyler's face I try to explain further. "It's a translation device."

"And Elena sent these over" Caroline holds up a couple print outs of Jeremy's tattoo. "Now we just have to use the cryptex to translate them."

"Right. Well, I suggest that you use the internet to purchase an Aramaic-to-English dictionary." Klaus smiles knowingly.

"What's…?" Tyler questions.

"Aramaic is a dead language." Caroline explains.

"It hasn't been used since biblical times" I share a look with Klaus. "And most likely it was Qetsiyah's native tongue."

"And even with a dictionary it could take days to finish, perhaps weeks." Niklaus sits down on the coffee table in his confinement space.

"In bas so-teen-to ara-ma-eet." Klaus says after a long pause.

"What does that mean?" Caroline asks.

"If only you spoke Aramaic." I answer without hesitation.

"You speak it?" Tyler looks at me.

"Yes. But I'm rusty. I haven't seen it or spoken it in hundreds of years." I purse my lips.

"Can you try to help us?"

"I wont be much help." I shake my head. Helping Elena right now isn't my top priority.

"Please, Emerson." Tyler begs. "This cure can change a lot of people's lives."

"I'll try." I agree after a second of thought.

I sit on the couch next to Caroline and get to work. I can't ignore the stares from both Tyler and Klaus as I try to translate the tattoo to the best of my ability. Niklaus sits on the coffee table watching me closely. I really would like to get him out of that box and get out of town, for good.

Halfway through the tattoo, I get up to get something to drink from the kitchen. Tyler joins me as I pour myself a glass of vodka. He leans against the counter next to me. I look at him from the corner of my eye. I have yet to apologize for killing all of his friends. But how does one do something like that and sound sincere?

"Tyler, I'm… I'm sorry." I try before taking a long gulp from my cup. The light burning sensation in my throat only lasts a second.

"I know." Tyler takes up my regular position of his arms crossed over his chest. "I never should have tried to take Klaus down. Not like that."

"You really shouldn't have. But I give you props for trying." I shrug.

"Why are you helping us?"

"Why are you letting me help you?"

"Because you're the only person that can speak Aramaic that think I trust." Tyler replies without pause.

"You shouldn't trust people so easily." I tell him as I put my finished drink on the counter and walk out of the room.

"I think we got it." Caroline smiles at me as I walk back into the room.

"Let me see it." I take the translation and read out what we have so far. "Requires a certain witch and a hunter in full bloom"

"What else does it say?"

"Silas rests on the far side, the means of his destruction at hand." I hesitate to keep reading, unsure of if it is correct. I turn to Klaus with pleading eyes. "Does this say what I think it does?"

I take the sword to Niklaus in the readied position. He studies it in silence for a minute. I plead with him to translate it for me. When he speaks Aramaic I understand what he is saying, but I don't want to believe it.

"What does that mean?" Caroline questions. When neither of us answer she gets up. "What does it mean, Klaus?"

"It means there is only one dose of the cure." I respond. Caroline shares a worried glance with Tyler as I do with Klaus.

"One dose?" Tyler addresses me. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." I pause. "What are we going to tell Stefan and Elena and Rebekah? If we tell them that there is only one dose, it will cause a mutiny."

"Let's just give them the map and the instructions first so they can at least catch up with Shane and his kidnapped gang." Caroline decides. She groups all of the translations and instructions.

Caroline takes a picture of the map on the hilt of the sword and prepares an email containing everything we had discovered. She calls Rebekah after attempting to reach both Stefan and Elena separately. Rebekah answers on the second dial tone.

"Hello?"

"It's Caroline… and Emerson." Caroline looks up at me. She must assume that it will help her attitude. "We have the translation of the tattoo and we're emailing you the map and instructions."

"Got it. Thanks." Rebekah answers after a pause.

"Actually, it was me." Niklaus adds before his sister can hang up.

"Nik, you helped?"

"After some persuasion, yes." Niklaus smiles at me.

"Is this persuasion blonde?"

"No. This persuasion goes by Emmy." Niklaus answers.

"You don't want any of us to be human. Why would you help us find the cure?" The suspicion in her voice is clear.

"Maybe I just want my sister to find happiness." Niklaus suggests.

"Fool me once, shame on you; fool me a hundred times…" Rebekah starts.

"I'm not fooling. I really hope you get to live, and die, as you please."

"So do I." Rebekah sighs. Niklaus's eyes meet mine for only a second but I immediately know what he is about to do. I don't know if it is out of the love he has for his baby sister or because he doesn't want the cure shoved down his throat.

"One more thing, Rebkah." Niklaus takes a deep breath as he paces. Caroline and Tyler look up. "There is only one dose of the cure. You need to find it first and take it. It will be the only way you'll…"

"Klaus!" Caroline says angrily as Tyler ends the call.

"Sorry, love. A brother's got to do what a brothers got to do." Niklaus shrugs and sits back down on the couch.

"Oh my god." Caroline stands up frustrated. Tyler stands up as well.

"I think you guys should go." I tell the nervous couple.

"What?" Caroline looks at me. I nod my head towards the front door and they follow me outside willingly.

"That box thing isn't going to hold Klaus for much longer. And when he does get out, he wont think twice about killing you." I look at Tyler.

"Maybe I can bargain with him." Caroline suggests.

"Caroline, I doubt that would work." Tyler shakes his head.

"You can try." I shrug. Caroline kisses Tyler quickly before moving back into the house. Tyler and I sit on the swing on the porch.

"Why do you want to find the cure?" Tyler asks. "Aren't you afraid we might use it on Klaus?"

"I know you won't be able to use it on him." I pause. "I want to find it because I want it to be available to whoever deserves it the most."

"Who do you think that is?"

"Elena, Stefan, Rebekah. All of the above." I shrug.

"Would you ever take it?" Tyler questions.

"No. There are too many people who deserve to take it more than me." I look at Tyler. "Would you?"

"No." Tyler shakes his head. "I know it sounds weird but I enjoy being a hybrid more than I ever enjoyed being a human."

"It's not weird." I assure him.

I grip the edge of the swing tightly. Subconsciously my ears start to pick up the conversation going on inside of the house.

"…Know how much I love Tyler. You can see how scared I am to loose him. If you and I are so similar, then show me your compassion. Show him the mercy that I would show you." Caroline pleads. I wait for Klaus' answer, amused.

"Mercy… for Tyler? Very well. Tell him to leave town immediately." I hear Niklaus' take a few steps. "And tell him to run and hide in a place I would never find him."

"Of course."

"Tell him that this is the mercy I extend for your sake…that I will give him a head start before I kill him." Tyler's eyes meet mine as we listen to Klaus. I can tell he is experiencing the same emotion as me: jealousy.

When Caroline walks out onto the porch I stand up and duck inside the house. I know that they will want some alone time to say goodbye. Niklaus smiles as I move into the house. I sit on the couch outside his box and slink down into the seat.

"What's wrong, love?" Niklaus looks curious.

"Nothing. I'm just hungry." I shrug.

"Why are you all the way over there then?"

"Do you love Caroline?" I ask after a pause.

"No." Niklaus shakes his head slowly. I purse my lips, unbelieving.

"That was really convincing, Niklaus." I stand from the couch.

"Come on, love. I already told you that you're the only one I want to be with." Niklaus walks towards me. The box stops him from progressing any further. I stand from the couch and push away the jealous feeling. Niklaus did make his choice and it was me. I shouldn't worry about Caroline anymore.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just need to get home and get out of these dirty clothes. Take a shower, maybe a nap." I smile. I walk over to Klaus and kiss him on the lips. He kisses me back without hesitation.

"I'll meet up with you once I get out of this wretched box." Niklaus smiles. I nod and walk out of the house. Caroline is leaning on Tyler on the bench.

"Are you leaving?" Caroline sits up.

"Yeah." I turn to the couple. "I need to go home."

"Do you think you could give me a ride?" Tyler stands up. "Caroline drove me here and I have to go before Klaus gets out."

"Of course." I bite my lip. "I'll wait in the car."

I go to my car and start the engine. Tyler only takes a couple minutes to say goodbye to Caroline. He joins me in the car silently.

"Are you okay?" I ask him as he buckles his seatbelt.

"I'm fine. I just need to get out of here." Tyler lets out a deep breath. I turn my attention back to the road and pull away from the Gilbert house. I drive Tyler to his house and park in front of his house.

"Are you going to be okay on your own from here?" I keep my hands on the steering wheel.

"Yeah. I think I'm just going to get in the car and drive until I pass out." Tyler nods his head.

"Do you think you'll ever going to be able to come back?"

"Maybe sometime in the far future." Tyler's eyes meet mine.

"For Caroline's sake, I hope you do come back. I can see how much she loves you."

"I don't mean to sound rude but could you do something for me?" I nod in response and Tyler continues. "While I'm gone, can you just make sure that Caroline stays alive?"

"Caroline doesn't need me to protect her." I pause. "But I will make sure no harm comes to her while you are away."

"Thank you." Tyler opens the car door and swings his legs out.

"Your welcome." I smile at him as he steps out of the car. Once he closes the door I pull away from the large house.

I go straight home and get into the shower. The water washes away any dirt that has built up on me after being on an abandoned island for a couple days. Once I finish washing my hair I jump out of the shower and pull on some simple pajamas. I sit on my bed and look at my phone for the first time since I left the island. Both Rebekah and Stefan have left a few voice mails. I decide just to wait until tomorrow to listen to them and put my phone on my nightstand. I slip under my covers and stare at the ceiling as I wait for sleep to come. I just hope that the next few days go a little better than the last. Is that too much to ask?

****This chapter was a little boring, i know. Please review. I am requesting at least two like always. I always love to hear suggestions on how to proceed. Thank you for reading and I hope you liked the chapter.**


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